Only One Her
by Ragnarok347
Summary: Three years after the War, Sokka and Suki's relationship is deteriorating, and Sokka can't help but wonder why. That's when the girl who's been there the whole time starts to shine in a different light, and, in typical Sokka/Toph fashion, hilarity ensues!
1. A Talk with the Moon

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. So, I haven't had the inspiration to write in a while. This hit me while I was at work today, and, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to keep it up, here's hoping. Anyway, this particular piece is almost solely based around Sokka and Toph, because having watched Avatar many, many times I can't resist knowing how fantastic those two would be for each other. Anyway, R&R, all that good stuff, let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: So, yeah, no owning of the Avatar. Nickelodeon and those helpful creators own it. Not I.  
**

_**Only One Her**_

Awake, again. Stuck in bed alone.  
Sokka hadn't been sleeping well. Then again, he usually didn't when Suki wasn't around, but this wasn't the same. This wasn't the same as missing the warm body next to him, a different nagging feeling was keeping him from the slumber he so desperately wanted.

He wasn't happy.  
If he was really honest with himself, it wasn't even all Suki's fault. The jobs he did were difficult and long, and kept him from home more than he'd like. Suki too had her responsibilities, either back at her home on Kyoshi Island training the warriors or off on some other mission in the Earth Kingdom. It just felt like...While he spent all his time trying to get home, Suki spent most of her time trying to stay away, and it confused him to no end. He made the time, or tried to. She didn't.

He knew they were good when she was home, though. They had spent three years together, filled with happiness and love and laughter. She was wise and calm, and picked up on all the little things that Sokka missed, and he loved that about her. He was loud and obnoxious and funny, always making her laugh, and he knew that as much as she rolled her eyes at him, she loved him for that, too.

"So what exactly is the damn problem!?!" Sokka roared to no one in particular, bedding flailing everywhere in his frustration. Fumbling a bit less gracefully than he would have preferred, he snatched his black sword from its usual resting spot next to his side of the bed, fully intending to exhaust himself until his mind finally shut up and let him sleep.

Not bothering to grab a robe or even a shirt, he threw open the door to the small backyard of his apartment in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, threw away the sheath, and launched himself into an attack routine so forcefully he thought for sure he pulled a muscle in his arm.

With the pale glow of the full moon high above him, Sokka cut, thrust, and danced his way across the yard, never ceasing, dodging invisible enemies this way and that until his muscles felt like burning fire and he was soaked to the bone in sweat. Finally coming to a rest after a particular vicious routine that would have, in theory, left at least three enemies without innards, he slumped down next to the small hill overlooking the cliffs leading to Ba Sing Se's back wall. Looking down, he could see the water swirling peacefully against the rocks, perfectly content in the back and forth motion of its existence, never ceasing, always in perfect rhythm. Sokka envied it, while at the same time calmed by it. He may not be a bender, but he was from the water tribe. Water calmed him, even if he couldn't shape it the way his sister could.

Shaking his head, trying to clear the mist from his eyes, he sighed, pulling free the thick cord that held back his fondly named "Warrior's Wolf Tail" and shaking his long hair free, baffled at how long he'd actually let it grow. The newly grown goatee on his chin itched a little too, and he scratched it absently as he pondered the water below. "Spirits...I really am all wolfy now, aren't I..." The proclaimed "Southern Wolf" laughed a little at the ridiculous joke, and looked up, gaze settling on the full moon. His eyes softened, and he was quiet as he whispered, "Spirits...I wish you were here, Yue." He let out a huge sigh, his muscled shoulders slumping. "You'd know what to do. You'd know how to help me. I loved you so much Yue...and I love her too, you know that. You're the one that let me accept it myself when I wasn't done grieving for you. She was good for me Yue, and she still is, I know she is. But why does it feel so different now? What's changed so much that her being home doesn't feel like she's home at all? I'm so lost Yue...I don't know what to do. Where do I go from here..."

His next thought scared him just as much, if not more, than his current predicament; for the first time in perhaps his entire life, he, Sokka of the Water tribe, the so-called "idea guy"...had no ideas.

* * *

"Sokka? Sokkkaaaa...Sokka!!! What the-SOKKA!!!" WHUMP!

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" BAM!

Sokka, forced from sleep, flew high into the air before landing face first on the back lawn of his house thoroughly dazed, confused, and in more than a small amount of pain. However, that didn't stop him from jumping up, albeit a little off-balance, and roaring out, "What the hell was that for!?!?"

His attacker, who turned out to be none other than the famous Avatar Earthbending Sifu Toph Bei Fong herself, who while admittedly surprised, wasn't going to back down so easily, even though she could feel something was off about him and his vibrations. Even with his jumping, he felt...lighter.

"Sokka, are you naked?"

"What!?"

Sokka looked down, concerned, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw he was still wearing the same light cloth pants he'd tried to sleep in.

"Nope, not naked. Pants are a go-" Right before the rapid movement caused them to fall around his ankles.

"They just fell, didn't they."

"Yeah."

"Feel like you should pull them up?"

"Most likely."

"Great. Let me know when you handle that."

"Will do."

Slinging his pants back on, grateful for the first time his best friend was blind, he tried, unsuccessfully, to regain some of his dignity before replying.

"Okay. Pants situation is good."

"Fantastic. Thanks for the update." Sarcastic like usual, but she really hoped Sokka couldn't see the blush seeping across her face from this distance. Her anger, however, quickly overrode her embarrassment.  
"Mind telling me what the hell you were doing snoring like a baby moose-lion on the edge of the CLIFF outside of your own house, Snoozles?" she made sure to put extra emphasis on the nickname.

"Wait, what?"

"I found you. Out here. Like 5 minutes ago. Sleeping about six inches away from a cliff. So I earthbended you away from it before your idiot self could fall off from it."

The severity of the situation took a couple of seconds to sink in to the scatterbrained swordsman, and he proceeded to freak out and start kissing the ground he was very thankful he was still on, a move he ended up almost instantly regretting. Toph, having been Sokka's friend for long enough to know his antics, waited with a patience she only had for him until he calmed...and she earthbended a hole underneath him, which he fell in with a yelp.

"You still haven't answered my question Snoozles. WHY were you sleeping on a cliff instead of the perfectly good bed you have inside your house not ten feet away?"

There was a deep, resounding silence from the hole before there was an almost whisper-ish, "I...I couldn't sleep."

Toph snorted. "You? Not sleep? You've fallen asleep upside down on a rock with ants in your hair!"

"That hurts Toph, reminding me of that. That really sucked. My hair itched like crazy and I couldn't move my head right for days." Something in his voice told Toph he wasn't in the mood for jokes. Sighing, she stomped her foot and raising the hole, smirking a little at the dust covering her best friend before staring at him with her pale green eyes.

"Sokka, I know you better than anyone alive. You're an idiot, but you're not stupid enough to wander around outside in the middle of the night and pass out next to a cliff unless you meant too. You were out on purpose. Now answer me: Why?" her tone was soft, almost pleading, if Toph was capable of such a thing.

Sokka sighed. "I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about Suki, and I admit, it wasn't pleasant things, so I came out here to have a workout and calm down before trying to go back to bed. I ended up talking to Yue, not literally of course, but I guess I fell asleep. I'm sorry Toph, I should have been mor-"  
Sokka's breath was literally forced from him as Toph slammed into him, the much smaller girl bowling his right over.

"You idiot." She said, almost in a whisper.

Sokka smiled. Toph was usually never this emotional, and absolutely never in front of other people. This was the side she only ever showed him. This was the girl Toph Bei Fong, not the warrior Toph Bei Fong, not the Blind Bandit persona she kept up in front of everybody. This was his Toph, the way he liked her best, though of course he'd never tell her.

"Shhh, sweetie..." He stroked her hair, marveling at how long she'd let it grow and how silky it felt. "It's okay, I'm okay. Don't worry. You saved me, like you always do. You were here for me, like you alwa-" It hit him like a blast of Azula's lightning. That's what was missing. Suki loved him, he was sure of that, but she wasn't there for him like she used to be. Even was she was here, she was distant. They didn't talk about their issues or their problems or...anything, really. Sokka couldn't remember the last time she'd told him how the warriors were or asked what he did while she was away, or just lay around in bed talking about nothing like they used to.

Furthermore, Sokka couldn't ignore the feeling of Toph pressed up against him any longer. Looking down, he felt like he was looking at her for the first time. How had he never noticed before? She was so beautiful...Her hair perfectly framed her gorgeous face, she was warm and wrapped up into him in just the right way...And it scared him. It scared him a lot. So much so that he scrambled like a mad Platypus-Bear to get up, almost crushing Toph in the process.

"What the hell is your problem?" The irritated Toph yelled out. "Here I am, showing concern you could have died, and you almost brain me instead? You're an ass, Sokka!" Toph got up, brushed herself off, trying hard not to turn red (for a number of reasons), stomped her foot to send Sokka flying again before storming off, grumbling to herself about how much of a jerk he was while, at the same time, being both horrified and ecstatic about what she'd just done. He'd felt...good. All muscle and warm and kindness. It shocked her how right it felt...  
"Com'n Toph, get a hold of yourself, it's just Sokka!" But the lie tasted funny in her mouth.  
_Yeah, and that was awesome, until he had to go and ruin it...Jerk._ Her anger returned, and followed her all the way to the house she shared with Katara.

Meanwhile, Sokka lay flat on the ground, torn between the newly found knowledge of why his relationship was failing and self-loathing about what had just happened with Toph.  
He could fix things with Suki, or not. That wasn't even close to the biggest problem on his mind, because for everything he had, everything he knew, he knew he needed Toph Bei Fong in his life. She was his best friend, his conscience, his confidant. She was his other half. Sokka had plenty of friends he cared about, plenty of people he'd gladly give his life for. But there was only one her.

"Dammit."

Sokka twitched. "What the...GAH! STUPID ANTS!!!"


	2. Resolutions

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews Grey Field, Mkitkat, and Sifu Toph! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Things are getting a little busier, my girlfriend just got back after a few months away and college is on the horizon, but I'm trying my best to keep this going (for once!) This one's a bit short, but it's more of an interlude chapter than anything, and I promise the next one will be longer/better.**

**Disclaimer: no Avatar owning over this way. Nickelodeon and those helpful creators and whatnot.**

"Toooppphhh...Come out and talk to meee..."

Sokka had been pounding on Toph's door for over ten minutes now, and the stubborn earthbender still refused to come out or even acknowledge he was there.

Com'n Toph, its not like you to Sulk! Beat me up, earthbend me into a volcano, whatever,, but at least let me say I'm sorry first!!"

The door swung open, and Toph, looking very much like the angry volcano Sokka just mentioned, glared daggers at him. "Do you have any idea what being blind does to your hearing, Sokka? I could hear you BREATHING out here, before you went bananas! Now, STOP BREAKING MY DOOR and go away. I'm mad at you." She moved to slam the door in Sokka's face, but his hand snaked in lightning-quick and stopped it from shutting fully.

Getting madder by the second, Toph's snort made it very clear she'd made up her mind to earthbend him back to the south pole, and had even shifted her feet into her horse stance before a piece of paper was thrust in front of her face, lightly tapping her nose.

"Look at this." Toph was silent.

"What?"

"HOW STUPID ARE YOU? I'M BLIND, YOU IDIOT!!"

"Oh. Right. I forgot."

"Spirits, I hate you."

"Ow, that hurts. No you don't. Anyway, what the paper says is that in less than a week, the tournament to end all tournaments is happening, very close by."

Toph's ears perked up at "tournament." What are you talkin' about Snoozles? What tournament?"

Sokka's smile grew wide. He had her. "Ahem. Earth. Rumble. _Ten._"

The tiny earthbender's eyes bulged, and a maniacal grin spread onto her face. "No way. How did you find this?"

"I have my ways. So, are we going or not? Gaoling's not exactly around the corner you know, and time's a wastin'."

Her nose crinkled, and Sokka had to shake his head a couple of times to clear the thought of how cute she looked like that.

"Gaoling? I've only been back home once since the war ended. After everything that happened, my father was still furious at me for taking off and tried to have the guards put me on lockdown for the next forever. Didn't even care that I was the earthbending teacher of the Avatar that just saved the world, which I did happen to mention included him, or all the other awesome stuff we did back then." She shrugged her shoulders. "That's gratitude for you, I guess. I haven't been back since. My mother's written me about a hundred letters, but they were pretty much the same thing as the first few." Toph shook her head.

"Toph. I know. I was there. And do you remember what you did?"

"Who's side are you on?"

"Yours!"

"Act like it!"

Sokka sighed. "We don't have to see your parents, you know." He replied gently. Above anyone else, he knew how much Toph's parents had hurt her with their lack of understanding, not only just with her choices, but with everything she accomplished. More than anything, Toph wanted her parents to be _proud_ of her...but, that didn't seem like it was ever going to happen.

"I know. But I should. It's a need, not a want, Sokka. They're my parents, the only ones I've got. I still love them, even though they..." She trailed off, not willing to finish the sentence.

"I know." He said softly. Reaching out his arms, he pulled her close, and for once, she didn't fight him, she just stood there, hugging him tightly.

"I really don't hate you."

"I know."

"You're still a jerk."

"I know."

"Apology accepted."

"Thanks Toph."

* * *

"So how are we gonna get there? We can't take Appa, Aang and Katara are still off on their honeymoon." Toph was in her room, packing up some of her things while Sokka lounged around, absently playing with his goatee.

Sokka scoffed. "Oh, you mean the honeymoon they went on like three months ago saying they'd be back in a week?"

"Yeah. That one."

He scoffed again. "They're very selfish, those two. Anyway, I guess the best way to do it is to take the ferry at Full Moon Bay and walk to Gaoling from there. Shouldn't take us more than a couple of days. It'll be just like old times!"

It was Toph's turn to scoff. "So, we'll end up doing the honorable thing and leading some refugees through some dangerous mountain pass with a giant sea serpent that nearly ate us and I'm going to kiss Suki again after nearly drowning. Great. Can't wait."

Sokka nearly pulled all the hair on his chin off. "W-wait, what? You kissed Suki?"

It took Toph a minute to remember she actually hadn't told Sokka, or, well, anyone, that had happened, and she was more than a little shocked Suki'd never told him.

"Uhhh...Any chance you can forget I said that?"

"I very much doubt it."

"Figured."

"You know how much I wanna ask, right?"

"I'm ignoring it."

Sokka got up. "Ah well. I'll get it out of you eventually."

"I very much doubt it."

He twitched a little, and let it go. She'd just stopped being mad at him, after all.

"Sokka, don't you have stuff to pack? We're going to be gone a couple weeks at least."

"I keep a pack ready for whenever the Earth King or Zuko need me. All we have to do is swing by my house and pick it up."

"Leave a note for Suki, maybe?"

He felt a pang of guilt. "Yeah, that too." He'd completely forgotten.

_What is wrong with him? His heart used to flutter every time anyone said Suki's name. Now it just...doesn't._

_Toph absently flung a lock of hair over her face. Maybe...A thought started to form in her head. Maybe things between them...Nah, forget about it. They're fine. You're losing your marbles, girl._

Toph finished packing the rest of the things she wanted, and tossed them into her bag. Walking into the main room, she found Sokka lounging comfortably in a chair with his eyes closed. Smirking a little, she reared back and socked him in the shoulder, sending him flying from the chair in a heap.

"Ready to go Snoozles?" Her sickly-sweet tone adding insult to injury.

"You're...so...cruel..." Sokka stammered, shaking himself out.

"Only to you Sokka. Only to you." she smiled widely.

* * *

Back at Sokka's house, he grabbed his always-ready pack, strapped on his sword and newly-made boomerang, and, confident he was ready, made his way towards the door when he realized he still hadn't left anything for Suki. Grabbing a piece of paper, he grabbed the nearest thing to write with...and stopped.

He had no idea what to say. What he realized about the relationship between him and Suki the night before had crushed him, but not nearly as much as it should have. He didn't feel sad he was leaving, or happy, or anything. He didn't feel...anything.

_What is wrong with me? It's like I've already given up. Like I don't want to try and fix this. She's supposed to be coming back in a couple of weeks. I should wait for her. _

_But I'm not going to. I'm tired of waiting._

With new determination, he finished his note and ran out the door, Toph waiting for him.

_Suki,_

_Off for a few weeks. Very important._

_Be back soon._

_Don't wait around for me._

_Sokka._


	3. For Honor and Kingdom

**Author's Note: Thanks to Mkitkat, BeatricBlack, and Meerkatgirl13! I'm so glad you all stuck through the last chapter, and, as promised, this one is both longer and better. I'm not sure if it really enhances the story, but to me, it really shows how much Sokka has grown up, and yet, how much he's stayed the same at the same time. Anyway, the mood struck and the story will not be denied. Hope you enjoy, please RxR!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own that Avatar. Sad it makes me, but 'tis true.  
**

"I really miss Appa right now."

"You've been walking for 20 minutes, lazybones! We're not even out of the city yet!"

Sokka stretched. "I guess the legs just aren't what they used to be. " He smiled. Of course, there was nothing wrong with him, but, he was the complaining guy. Some things never change.

"You know you're an idiot, right?"

"Why this time?"

You're nineteen."

"I feel older than that."

"Helping save the world will do that to you. How often do you think I feel like a normal sixteen-year old girl?" Toph replied, hands on her hips.

"There's nothing normal about you."

A swift punch was all he got for his troubles.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"What exactly do you mean by that?!"

Sokka thought for a moment before realizing what she was talking about. When he did, he burst out laughing, even though he knew Toph would only get angrier. He couldn't help it.

"What? About you not being normal? Toph, you're barely sixteen and you're already the world's only metalbender, you trained the Avatar, and you helped save the world all by the time you were thirteen. What exactly is normal about that? You're the most not-normal, special girl I've ever met. There's no one like you. Not even close." He fought the urge to add in how beautiful she was, too, when it sprang up unbidden in his mind.

_Get a hold of yourself, man. It's Toph! Your best friend! Just because things are rough with Suki doesn't mean you can go and spout off stuff like that. Good way to get yourself hurt._

"Sokka, are you hitting yourself?"

Sokka came back to reality to realize he'd been smacking himself in the forehead for the last few seconds without noticing, and not only did he feel quite silly, he was also sporting a whopper of a headache.

"Ow."

"What the hell is WRONG with you?" Toph asked, genuinely confused. Sokka had done plenty of crazy things in the time she'd known him, but purposely causing himself harm was a stretch, even for him. First the cliff, now this?

_Either he has a death wish, something's really, really wrong, or he's on the damn cactus juice again._

"Nothing. I'm fine." he replied, almost coldly.

Toph's lips pursed. She could tell he was lying even without the fluttering in his heartbeat, and was about to press the issue when they passed through the gates to Ba Sing Se's outer wall tram station.

_I'll beat it out of him later, _she mused to herself.

The Tram Lobby, while no longer flooded with the mass of refugees it was in the just the few short years past, was still one the busiest places in the city. People bustled to and fro, shipping crates were being unloaded for transport to the various shops around the city, and noodle and tea carts were set up in strategic spots around the diameter to provide optimal purchasing arrangements. Everyone seemed to be in a much bigger hurry than necessary, but that was the nature of such places.

"The beauty of public transportation, eh Toph?" Sokka gently nudged her.

"Suck it up Snoozles. If I have to, so do you. "She smirked a little. Places with so many people on the same surface hurt her head a bit, but it was nice to see a place so _alive_. She'd been cooped up in the upper ring of the city for too long.

"Yeah yeah. Let's get moving Toph, I wanna be across the lake tonight, and on the road tomorrow towards a well-deserved vacation and some quality butt-whoop."

Toph snorted, contempt clear. "Who's vacationing? You only came up with this plan to keep me from kicking your ass when you nearly killed me this morning."

Sokka winced. "I was kinda hoping you forgot that part."

"I didn't."

"That sucks."

Toph again punched him in the arm, this time with a smile.

"That was the 'affectionate' slug in the arm, right?"

"You know me too well." She smiled sweetly.

"My shoulder wishes I didn't...Hey! Heeeeyyyy! Let's just calm down now!" Sokka cried, dancing his way out of range of another punch.

"Easy, easy!"

She laughed. "You're such a baby Sokka. It's only a little love-tap." She cocked her head and winked.

Others might have found it strange at a blind girl giving a wink to them, but Sokka wouldn't be one of those people. He knew she'd spent her whole life proving she was just as capable, if not more so, than anyone else out there, and even though she'd proven it time after time, she still liked to freak people out now and again. Pity it didn't work on him.

"Yeah yeah, you tell me that all the time and yet the bruises never seem to go away." He smiled. "I'm getting on the tram. You coming or not?"

"Yeah yeah. Impatient baby." Toph smirked back.

Sokka gave nothing but a noncommittal grunt as the tram to the ferry docks pulled in and began to unload. Given the free and clear by the earthbender crew, he hefted his pack and got in, taking a seat in the corner, Toph close behind.

As the tram began to fill, heads began to turn as the fellow passengers took stock of the odd pair. The tall, muscular, wavy-haired _handsome_ man who was clearly no Earth Kingdom native, and the petite, willowy, raven-haired beauty sitting across from him, hair curiously covering her eyes.

Murmurs of recognition began to flitter through the tram. Sokka, lost in thought, didn't catch the whispers of "Sokka" and "water tribe warrior" and "Toph, the Avatar's teacher" floating around the tram, which, with a bump, took off for the docks. Toph, on the other hand, caught every word, and on top of everyone in the car talking incessantly about the two of them, the things the group of women at the other end of the tram were saying about Sokka were making her ears blush. Mercifully, the ride was short, and they departed the tram without much fuss in a matter of minutes.

Sokka shifted his pack and little and was making his way towards the ticket booth when a couple of younger earth kingdom children nearly took his legs out from under him in their rush to get...somewhere. Snorting angrily, he was about to turn around and set them straight when his eyes landed on a large crowd in the corner of the docks, raising quite the racket now he was bothering to listen. Normally, he wouldn't have thought anything of it, but something didn't feel right. There were too many people over there for it to be something simple, and even more curiously, Sokka couldn't see any of the guards around that normally kept watch over the area.

Bad feeling rising in the pit of his stomach, his conscience finally got the better of him.

"Toph, something doesn't feel right about the crowd over there. Something's got them interested and none of the guards are around. I'm going to go see what's going on." She nodded. "Okay. Try not to get your butt kicked, there are people here." She flashed him a grin.

"You're so supportive." He chided, shaking his head.

Burning need to appease both his curiosity and his conscience, he walked over, doing his best to peer through the crowd as best he could. Though he couldn't see much, he did manage to see that the crowd was standing in a large circle, with a fairly decent sized gap in the center. His bad feeling only worsened when he saw a flash of green he could have sworn was the spitting image of an Earth Kingdom standard issue army hat.

_If the guards are already here, then what is the all the fuss about?_

Sokka couldn't stand anymore, and began to gently push his way through the crowd until he managed to worm his way through the circle and straight into the middle of things.

On one side, there was what appeared to be a small family, and from the look of the clothes and the hairstyles, Fire Nation, if not overly wealthy Fire Nation. There was a small boy crying with low sniffles and sobs next to a woman, obviously his mother, kneeling over the prone form of a man, whom Sokka assumed was her husband, who was sporting a rather nasty looking black eye and glaring angrily in the direction of three equally glaring Earth Kingdom guards, all three of which dressed in matching Earth Kingdom Army uniform green, rocks held at the ready.

_Dammit._

"What's going on here?" Sokka demanded, pushing himself gently through the remainder of the people standing between him and the altercation.

"Who are you?" The center guard asked, turning to face the source of the voice, and Sokka happened to notice a flash of yellow before burly arms crossed over a barrel chest.

_An Officer. Great._

"Step away, Citizen. This is official Earth Kingdom business."

Sokka did not relent. "I'm just curious what happened, that's all."

The guard replied with a snarl, "These filth," He spat at the ground near the family, "Think they can come here from the Fire Nation and just be let in like nothing ever happened during the war, like they're better than us. Especially after this one," He pointed to the man, "tried to firebend at us while he was resisting arrest. He'll get what's coming to him. Now why don't you," He pointed a finger at Sokka," Step away, before I decide you don't look so friendly to the Earth Kingdom either and arrest you both."

The woman perked her head up when the officer mentioned her husband. "That's absolutely ridiculous! He did no such thing! None of us are even benders, he just tried to fight back when you three jumped him for no reason!"

A rock smashed into the ground by her kneeling form, and she yelped and fell over.

"It's no good to lie. Your husband tried to firebend at us, and we don't take kindly to that around here." The officer replied with menace, holding up another rock.

There was a dull flash, a grunt, and a thud, and before any onlooker could blink, the officer was on the ground with Sokka's black sword at his throat, perfectly steady, with both halves of the rock he was holding lying still next to him.

"What~? You'll pay for this! Guards, arrest this man for crimes agai-" The officer gurgled a little as Sokka's sword pressed closer.

True to form, the soldiers, who were no novices to battle, only took mere moments to ready rocks designed to restrain the mysterious warrior, and were about to fire before the ground erupted beneath them, pinning them both completely in cones of solid rock and stone.

The crowd relented, letting a sighing Toph Bei Fong through, shaking her head. "You can't go anywhere without me, can you?"

Sokka grinned. "I wouldn't want too. Thanks Toph." Though his manner had changed, his eyes had never left the soldier below his blade. The officer, after seeing the young girl who took out two of his best soldiers like they were nothing at all, finally made the connection. "Lady Bei Fong? That means you...You're Sokka of the Water Tribe, the Avatar's friends!"

Sokka growled out the words, "That's right. We are. Let me guess who you are. You're a soldier who saw an opportunity to make yourself look tough in front of your men, and decided to put on a good show for them by throwing your weight around with an innocent Fire Nation family, or, wait, maybe it's out of some outdated sense of duty for your kingdom." He scoffed. "Maybe you've forgotten about it, but I was THERE the day Treaty of Four Elements was signed. In fact, two of my best friends signed it personally. I think you've heard of them. Fire Lord Zuko, maybe? How about Aang, the Avatar?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Let me fill you in. You're not bringing honor to your kingdom. You're shaming the thousands who died, on both sides, to bring the opportunity for that treaty to BE signed. The war is over. You're not enemies anymore. Think about that the next time you decide you're bored and want to show your flunkies who's boss." With a disgusted sigh, he sheathed his blade, and held out a hand for the soldier to grab, which he did. With a grunt, Sokka lifted the man to his feet and turned, intending on leaving. Thinking better of it, he turned back around and punched the soldier square in the face, landing him flat on his back, unconscious, with a black eye forming to rival that of the Fire Nation man's.

Turning to the family, he held out a hand for the man. "Don't worry." Sokka said, flashing him a grin. "You're alright." The man smiled and accepted, giving a word of thanks. Sokka turned to the woman. "Are you alright Miss?"

She was, and immediately ran over and grabbed her son, lifting him to her chest, cooing softly to silence his cries. Fishing around in his pocket for a moment, Sokka pulled out some rock candy, which he offered to the little one, smiling broadly when it was accepted.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you so much." The woman gushed. "Say thank you, Lee." The little boy mumbled a thanks from behind the candy.

"Don't worry about it. But you are going to miss your tram if you stay around here any longer. Go on, get going. I'll take care of these guys." He poked a thumb over one shoulder, indicating the guards.

The family gathered their belongings and moved on, thanking Sokka again and again. He waved it off, smiling the whole while. When they were finally on their way and the crowd was dispersed, Sokka turned back to the guards, smile replaced with a scowl.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you two. You're both going to stay here until he,"Sokka poked the unconscious guard with the toe of his boot, "wakes up and earthbends you out. I dunno how long it'll be, but I want you to think really, really hard about the way your lives and careers are going. Oh, one more thing. I want you to inform him...What's his name?"

"Jing, sir." One of the guards peeped out.

"Jing. Inform Jing when he wakes up that, by the authority vested in me by the Earth King and the Council of Five, I relieve him of command and demand he report straightaway to his commanding officer and explain exactly what happened if he wishes to remain a loyal soldier of the Earth Kingdom. Can you do that?"

The guards nodded, terrified they would be next.

"Good. Carry on then." Sokka turned on his heel and walked off.

Toph followed behind him. "You don't have that kind of authority...do you?" She asked, bewildered.

He grinned. "No. But they don't know that. He'll report what happened to his superior and they'll take it from there. Either that, or they'll never tell him and hope I don't come back to find out. Either way, they won't be straying out of line again."

Toph was silent, letting that sink in. _He's grown up a lot...The old Sokka never would have thought of that. Or maybe...he would._

She stayed quiet the entire time Sokka was getting them tickets on the ferry, even when he instinctively held out his arm for her to grab on the wooden deck of the ferry boat, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. He led her to the side of the deck, and closed his eyes as he listened to the ebb and flow of the waves as the ferry began to move.

Toph finally spoke a short time later. "That was a really good thing you did back there, Sokka. Even when you socked that guy in the face."

Sokka smirked. "Saw that, did you?"

"I don't 'see' anything, you idiot." She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "But I do know you."


	4. Weakness

**Author's Note: Only one this time? How sad. Then again, considering the length of time between updates, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Thanks to Meerkatgirl13! I'm glad you're enjoying so far. ^_^ This next chapter isn't as long as the last, and it deals with an emotion I don't have a lot of experience writing in, but I felt it was important to the story and needed to happen. Trust me, I'm not going to make a habit out of it. Please RxR, and I'll let you in on a little hint: There's good stuff happening next chapter! Maybe even a particular Earthbending Tournament? See we shall!**

**Disclaimer: Me+Avatar=Not owning.  
**

The ferry drifted smoothly through the murky blue waters of the lake, waves lapping idly at the sides as the sunlight waned, twilight settling in with blazes of orange and red splayed over the horizon.

Sokka wished Toph could see it.

Toph, however, had other things on her mind. Sokka's behavior, while normally pretty weird, had been getting getting increasingly stranger as the day wore on, and with nothing better to do but watch the waves she couldn't see anyway, she intended to find out just exactly was going on with her favorite clumsy, obnoxious swordsman, one way or another.

"Sokka." she said, finally breaking the long, but not uncomfortable silence between them.

"Yeah?" He murmured, eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of the swaying ship and the soft sound of the waves immensely.

"Tell me what's wrong with you, and don't lie to me like you did back on the docks."

Sokka sighed, his reverie broken, and opened his eyes. There was really no point in trying to hide it from her any longer. No one in the world knew him better than Toph did, and they both knew she didn't even have to bother listening to his heartbeat to know when he was lying. He was actually surprised she'd let him slide with it back at the docks, and even more surprised it'd taken her this long to bring it up.

"I don't suppose it would do any good to say I really, really don't want to talk about it, huh."

"No."

"Didn't think so. How about 'it's my problem and I'm taking care of it?'"

"Not happening."

"How about-"

"Quit stalling and OUT WITH IT ALREADY!" Toph screeched, drawing the attention of...Well, everybody in earshot.

"Wow. Okay, okay." He drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes once more. He'd had a hard enough time admitting the truth to himself this morning. Telling Toph...That was another beast entirely.

"Sokka, I'm really worried about you. Please just out with it so I can fix it or kick your ass for it." Toph begged, a very un-Toph-like thing to do. He knew she was serious.

"I'm not happy, Toph."

Her face crinkled, clearly confused. "What the hell does that mean? Not happy about what?"

"Suki."

Toph's eyes widened. _Wait. What?_

"W-What do you mean?" Her voice cracked a little with the shock.

There it was. It was finally out. The burden he'd been carrying for so long, before he'd actually gotten up the nerve to accept it for what it was. Almost immediately, he felt like a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. It felt good to actually hear the words out loud, to share them with someone he knew would care and understand. As terrible as it was, one of the first things Sokka learned was that your troubles would always stay troubles until they became your problems and you solved them. It was a very valuable piece of advice his father had given him, and he had never forgotten it.

"I'm not happy anymore, Toph. With Suki. Things just aren't the same. I don't miss her like I should when she's gone, she's gone _all_ the time, I can't remember the last time we had a real conversation or had a day to ourselves or even _kissed_, let alone acted like we love each other. We're like strangers who happen to live in the same house. The worse part is, I have no idea why or when it happened. It's why I couldn't sleep yesterday. Why I haven't slept for weeks. I'm losing my damn mind, Toph, and it _sucks._" He finished his rant with a disgusted sigh and turned around, leaning his back against the deck railing, lazily blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "I don't know what the hell to do anymore..."

Toph had barely heard a word of it.

Her ears had caught the words "Suki" and "I'm not happy anymore" and her heart stopped...And then it started again, beating faster and faster like a raging dragon was trying to erupt from her chest. Feelings she'd repressed deep down in her heart for years blossomed in a way she couldn't begin to stop, let alone control, she took a ragged gasp of air to try and calm the fire burning in her chest. Every second she'd known him, there was always one part of Sokka she couldn't have. Sure, she was his best friend and knew him better than anyone, but there was a always a part of him that belonged to someone else, the part she wanted more than anything for herself.

"So...So...What are you saying, Sokka?" She managed to croak out, trying desperately to get herself back under control before making a total fool of herself in front of him.

Sokka's eyebrows arched up. "Saying? I don't have a clue in the world. I'm miserable all the time because the girl I love is never around and even when she is, we spend most of our time away from each other anyway." He sighed again.

At the mention of 'love', Toph got control of herself again. For everything he just said, he hadn't lied. Sokka still loved Suki, as much as he ever had. The only thing that had changed was what he felt about the love he did have.

_That's what you get, Toph. You let your hopes up, and there it is. He still loves her. He always will. He just wants you, as his best friend, to tell him everything's gonna be okay. And why shouldn't you? It's not like..._

_It's not like you could match up with her anyway._

With a small sniffle and a hiccup, Toph finally got herself back under control, thankful Sokka hadn't said anything about her irrational behavior, but also very aware her cheeks were still burning.

"I...I think you deserve better, Sokka." Her voice almost betrayed her. "You deserve someone special. And maybe it isn't Suki. You guys aren't kids anymore." She felt better, and yet, worse, the more she spoke. There it was. Even with everything she felt, everything she desperately wanted to tell him, she was still his best friend first. "You guys have been together a long time. Maybe you've just outgrown each other." She shrugged her shoulders. "Then again, what do I know? My longest relationship..."She trailed off.

Sokka looked up. "What about it? I didn't think you'd been in many...Or...well, any, actually. You keeping secrets from me, Toph?" He smiled a little.

She socked him in the arm, causing him to yelp in pain. "It's you, you idiot. You're the only guy, person, really, I hang around with who isn't married to another one of our friends."

_Thank the spirits._

_...Wait, what? Why is that a good thing? _

_Why am I glad I'm the only man in her life?_

_Is that even really what I'm saying?_

_...What the hell is wrong with me?_

_..._

He laughed. "Good to know." He sobered a little, staring up at the rockets of color hanging in the sky. "I think that's why I'm so glad we're going to Gaoling. I need to get out of the city, clear my head a little. I'll figure something out. I'm the idea guy, right?" He let out a little chuckle.

She smiled with him. _Yeah. You'll figure it out. Just like you always do._

_With everything except how I feel about you._

She didn't stop him as he reached out for her and drew her into a tight hug, rather, she basked in it, closing her eyes and pretending for just one moment, they weren't best friends...They were what she wished so much they were. And so much more.

* * *

Sokka couldn't sleep. Again.

Even though they had tried to insist on passage as regular citizens, as soon as the captain got wind of who he had aboard, he and the first mate had immediately offered up the services of their cabins to the pair, and even though they had tried to turn them down, the officers had insisted, and so Sokka was now lodged in the certainly comfortable first mate's room, while Toph was across the hall in the captain's lodge.

None of this changed the fact Sokka still could not sleep. Again.

However, instead of last's night problem, where there was only one person on his mind...Now there were two.

Toph and Suki.

Sokka couldn't get the thought of either of them out of his head. They just kept swimming around, one after another. Suki's smile, Toph's laugh, the way Suki made breakfast in the morning, the little sounds Toph made when he rubbed her feet for her...Over and over the images and memories played through Sokka's mind, clear as a midsummer's day in the Fire Nation.

"GAH!!!!"

He couldn't take it any longer. He had to do something, anything. He had to get out of his own head...Before he remembered he was on a ship, it was the middle of the night, and the only thing he had to do was lie there and pretend he was doing something, _anything_ else.

"If I make it out of this mess with my sanity..." He said, to no one in particular. "Well, I have no idea, because I'm pretty sure I'm already insane." He fell back onto the bed, totally exhausted, unable to sleep, with nothing but the two women he loved most swapping back and forth in the starring role of the play taking part in his mind.

"Why isn't there a saber-toothed moose-lion around to eat me when I _actually _need one?"

* * *

"How am I supposed to sleep when my brain won't shut up?" Toph yelled, to no one in particular, flailing around the captain's room in a futile effort to quiet her brain and let herself get some much-needed sleep.

Of course, she knew that was impossible.

In the course of just a few short hours, everything she knew defined the terms of her and Sokka was shaken to the very core. She knew exactly what she wanted, what she had wanted for years, and yet, the only reason she wasn't across the hall throwing herself at him, begging him to love her like no one ever had or ever would, was the same reason it had always been.

What if he rejected her? What if he didn't feel the same way? What if he thought it was just another _joke?_

Toph wasn't afraid of many things. She had faced down earthbenders two, sometimes three times her size, helped take down an airship fleet with nothing but two friends and a lot of guts, and left everything she'd ever known to train a boy she hardly knew but believed in with all her heart could save the world. Yeah, not a lot of things scared her. But the idea of losing Sokka...She literally froze with fear, and her head swam with just the sheer notion. He was as much a part of her as own two feet, and just as important.

So she sat, clad only in her nightgown, sobbing her eyes out, partly because she was so unbearably happy she might finally have a chance to tell the man of her dreams how much she cared and make him hers, and terribly sad because she knew deep in her heart she would never have the courage to take that chance, that plunge, because she was so deeply terrified of the alternative.

So she sobbed harder, hot tears splashing at her nightgown, until she had literally cried herself out of tears and fell back onto the bed, totally exhausted, unable to sleep, with nothing but one person on her mind, in the same place he'd been for more years than she cared to remember.

"I love you...You idiot..."


	5. Earth Goddess

**Author's Note: Wow! lots of reviews! With just a little ado, I want to say thank you to TwilightGD, Sifu Toph, Meerkatgirl13, Nemiah, Mkitkat, AnimeFallingStar, and last but certainly not least Tigerlilysmile! Thank you all so much for following along with my whim. I really appreciate all the feedback and, most importantly, that you all believe I'm staying true to character. With that over, I humbly present, Chapter 5! Also, do note I went a little crazy with the page break this chapter...Didn't really mean too, just sort of happened. o.O  
**

**Anyway, it may not be exactly what I promised in the last chapter, but I hope it's enough of a change of pace to keep you all interested just long enough for the real fun to start, which should be happening very, very soon. 'Till next time!**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Avatar. Very sad it makes me.  
**

It was a beautiful morning over the lake as the ferry pulled into the dock.

Toph yawned, putting the rest of the her clothes away, trying to ignore the fact that even though she couldn't see them, she could still _feel_ the cold wet spots on her nightgown from the evening before, and ignore the lump rising in her throat that was fighting awfully hard to get her to cry again.

This time, she fought it back.

_It's a new morning. I can't let myself think like this anymore. Either get over it, or do something about it._

For all her tough thoughts, Toph knew, deep down, which she would pick, what she always picked, and as hard as she fought it, a single tear rolled down her cheek anyway.

* * *

Sokka wasn't faring much better. His eyes were red and bloodshot, and the bags under them were a deep purple-blue color, clear signs he hadn't gotten any sleep. True to form, though, he soldiered on, and he had just finished packing away the rest of his things when there was a loud knock on the door.

"Sokka! Get your ass up! I wanna be kicking earthbender butt by this time tomorrow. Move it lazybones!" She rapped on the door a few more times for good measure, just in case he hadn't gotten the point.

He smiled, a genuine one. _At least I don't have to worry about Toph being down. I can always count on her keep things into perspective._

"I'm awake, and I just finished, calm down, will ya? You're as bad as Zuko when he's forced to smile!" He pretending to grumble, smiling all the while.

_Best to put last night out of my mind. Don't want Toph to worry about me more than she does already...And I really don't want to explain why it was I couldn't sleep. _He grimaced, hefting his pack and making sure his weapons were secured. On a whim, Sokka shook his head and pulled back his hair, reaching up to grab the familiar band around his wrist and snap it into its proper place, his "famous" wolftail complete once more.

Satisfied he had everything and he'd left the cabin exactly how he'd been given it, Sokka left, closing the door with a low click as it latched shut.

"Hey Toph. I'm all set, let's head up and get a move on..." He opened the door across the hall to the captain's cabin, expected to see (and hear) his favorite angry earthbender, but instead, he found nothing but an empty cabin.

_Must have found her way to the dock on her own. Guess she missed the ground more than I thought. _He smirked. He wouldn't have thought any more of it, and he turned to leave before he noticed a side of the captain's bed was untucked. Not one to let the graciousness of his hosts go unanswered, he walked over to fix it when the morning sun struck something on the ground with a bright flash, and his quick eyes caught it.

There were wet spots on the floor, no bigger than small coins. A lot of them.

* * *

Puzzled by what he'd seen and anxious to get moving, Sokka hardly noticed he'd left the ship before he reached the end of the dock and clasped hands with the crew, thanking them again and wishing them well. He'd barely taken two steps away from them before he saw Toph, sitting happily atop a large pile of earth, shaped like a throne.

"You're like a little kid with a really, really big ego, you know?" He called up at her, smiling widely.

"Shut it Snoozles. You wander around all night blindfolded and then talk to me."

Sokka opened his mouth to reply, found out he didn't have one, and shrugged. He really couldn't argue with that logic. Not hearing a response from him, Toph's answer was to earthbend a rock at him, which he narrowly dodged.

"It's too early for rock dodging, Toph!"

She grinned. "Never too early for a little fun, Sokka." She slid down her earthy throne, coming to a halt without a speck of dirt on her, and flashed a big smile.

"We're only about half a day's walk from Gaoling." Sokka told her, totally ignoring her little display and focusing on his trusty map.

"Yeah." Toph's voice was no longer playful. She sounded...Sad.

Sokka looked up, noticing the difference. "What's up?" He asked, concerned.

"You know what that means, right?"

He did. He knew she didn't want to hear it, but he did. "Uhhh...Sure I do! It means you get to kick ass, throw lots of rocks at people for thousands of screaming fans until you win Earth Rumble Ten, reclaim your title as the greatest earthbender ever, and skedaddle before anyone tries to kidnap you again, right?"

She shook her head.

_Damn. Thought that would work._

He sighed. "It means we're seeing your parents tonight."

"We?"

Sokka gasped, clasping his heart in mock shock. "You think so little of me? I'm not letting you go into the Platypus-Bear's den all by yourself. Not this time."

She smiled, honestly touched. She knew she shouldn't expect anything else from him by now, but even with all her own worries about the two of them, he was still the same Sokka underneath.

"How noble of you." she quipped, drawing another mock hurt pose.

"And ungrateful, too! Well, I'm just letting you know, if I get eaten, expect a very pissed-off water tribe spirit haunting you from beyond. I'm serious. You will never sleep again."

_Not that I do anyway._ Toph felt the need to remind herself.

"I'll be sure to remember that. I'll do my best to make sure you're just maimed." She grinned at him.

He snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go. If I'm going to get mauled I at least want a full stomach first."

She kicked another rock at him, which he again dodged, giving her an angry glare he only half-heartedly meant.

"You and your stomach."

"Yup. Speaking of..." He grabbed his pack and rooted around in it for a moment, coming up with a small bag of apples. Taking two out, he shined them each on his shirt and handed one to her before taking a huge, obnoxiously loud and quite satisfying chomp.

"Wow. That hungry?"

His choking noises were the only response she got.

* * *

They walked, at first, mostly in silence. Neither one was uncomfortable, rather, it seemed...Okay. Almost necessary. Neither one of them wanted to talk about (or even remember) what had happened the previous night, but as they went on, it got easier and easier to forget, so much so that eventually they couldn't stop talking, and laughing, and yelling. Just like it was supposed to be.

Hours later, Sokka was the first to notice they were getting close. Toph was chattering about something or someone she'd earthbended and how awesome it was, and wasn't paying attention. Sokka knew, though. Maybe an hour's walk and they'd be there.

_If I'm gonna go through with this crazy plan, it'd better be soon...Wait, hold on...Yeah, here's a good spot._

They'd just turned a corner to find a small clearing, with a rocky hill on one side. The hill had a small plateau, flanked by several small boulders and rocky outcroppings. It was a beautiful spot, and perfect for what Sokka had in mind, crazy though it may be.

"Okay. This is as good a spot as any." With a shrug, Sokka let his pack slide off his shoulder onto the ground at the base of the hill, and unclipped his boomerang.

Toph stopped, confused. Now that she was paying attention, she recognized where they were, and what that meant. "What are you doing, Sokka? We're almost there."

"I know, which is what makes this necessary." He grasped his sword and slowly drew the blade from its sheath, the silken metal scarcely making a sound as it cleared its confines.

Toph's ears had picked it up, though, and her eyes widened when it registered. "What the hell are you doing, Snoozles?"

Sokka looked down and broke out into a huge grin, beginning to laugh, realizing what this looked like. "Sorry Toph, it's not what it looks like. I'm going to help you. You're going to work off ALL the frustrations you have about your parents on me, before we get there and you destroy the house. Again."

Toph scoffed, contempt clear in her voice. "Couple of things wrong with that plan. First, you're absolutely crazy. Second, I was hung over when that happened, they shouldn't have yelled so loud."

"You were out all night drinking while you were underage!"

"YOU bought all the booze!"

"Oh. Right." The realization took the bluster out of him, and he grinned sheepishly.

"Idiot..."She shook her head. "Lastly, and most importantly,if I took out ALL my frustrations about my parents on you, there wouldn't be anything left of you to send home. I do NOT want to have to tell Katara how I was the one that killed you." She shuddered involuntarily. Katara's wrath was well known to the two, and Sokka joined her in that understanding. His sister was not one to be crossed.

"Good point. Only problem with all that is..."

_I really hope I know what I'm doing. Or don't. Because this is really, really stupid._

"I think you're scared."

Toph's ears perked up. "What was that, Sokka?"

"You heard me. You ain't so tough." He taunted, cringing inside.

_I've had a good run, right? She's gonna murder me. _

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that and let you get away with it this once. Just say you didn't mean it, and we can get going and pretend you're not crazy and want to die today." She smiled an awful smile, one Sokka knew all too well that she meant exactly what she'd said.

_This is a horrible idea. Terrible. Absolutely awful._

"Please."

"That's better, let's just get moving on-"

"I meant, please. Haru's got more talent than you in his ridiculous mustache."

_That'll do it. You've had a good life Sokka, it's been fun. Hopefully they'll be able to find your body._

"Say WHAT!?!" She screeched. "How DARE-I'M GONNA KILL YOU SOKKA!!"

_Oh boy._

Sokka threw himself into a sideways roll as he narrowly dodged a massive boulder Toph had seemingly conjured out of nowhere. Coming out of his roll, he worked his sword through a quick routine as she launched a pile of smaller rocks at him, each swing of the blade bringing destruction to another of her miniature missiles.

"Come on Toph, you can do better than that! Don't make me tell Aang you're slipping!"

_What the hell is wrong with you? She was ALREADY mad!_

That did it. With an almost otherworldly growl, Toph decided to teach her best friend some manners before they went another step farther together, and raised her arms, dozens of rocks coming to her call...Which she promptly began firing off at Sokka, one after another, sometimes in bunches, sometimes bunched together to make bigger rocks.

Sokka had fought earthbenders before, some of them even on opposing sides, but this was different, a fact he came to really appreciate after the first dozen or so rocks that were whizzing towards him with pinpoint accuracy. He'd had to force a quick tactical retreat and scramble up the hill towards the plateau, slamming his back again an outcropping to keep a particularly sizable boulder from taking his head from him shoulders. He was, at that moment, reminded of what he'd forgotten before laying this crazy plan out. He'd forgotten Toph was not only the best earthbender in the kingdom, but in the WORLD.

_Really think I should have thought this through. Dammit brain! _He grimaced when another rock barely missed him. He'd forgotten the most important part of fighting Toph. He'd forgotten she didn't see with her eyes, she saw with her earthbending, and knew where he was. All the time. It was a stupid oversight, and one punished himself for forgetting. He'd been fighting with Toph for years, he should have known better, and had it been anyone else, he might have paid for his stupidity with his life. Toph, however, was content to bend a column of earth underneath her, laughing maniacally, and throw more rocks at Sokka in his hiding place.

* * *

Rather enjoying herself, and even in her anger not really trying to hurt Sokka, Toph's barrage was more bark than bite. The rocks she was throwing were close, yes, but she was confident enough in her own ability that she wouldn't hit him unless she really wanted too. He didn't know this, of course, and she saw no reason to inform him until he'd learned his lesson.

_Haru's mustache? Really? _Her anger grew._ may kill him anyway.

* * *

_

Meanwhile, Sokka was trying desperate to figure out a way to end this with his life intact.

_Only way to do that is to win._

The odds were long, but Sokka's brain had already switched itself over to "Heat of Battle" mode, and he was trying to surmise where the best points of attack were, any noticeable weaknesses, his surroundings, everything to try and give himself an edge over the powerful earthbender.

_Wait. The surroundings. That's it!_

Sokka knew that Toph 'saw' with vibrations. So if he was able to create a distraction, even for a couple of seconds, it might be long enough for her attention to be elsewhere and give him a moment to attack. Sokka also knew Toph was smart. She hated letting anyone close in on her in battle, where she couldn't use her bending to full effect. Tough as she was, Toph wasn't a hand-to-hand kind of fighter. So, logically, the only way to take her down would be to close in on her with a charge, which she'd spent her whole life perfecting against just that kind of attack. It was suicide. The battlefield itself was the answer, he just needed to find the solution.

His eyes scanned over the terrain. He had almost given up hope when his wolftail brushed the boulder behind him. Turning around, he noticed it was large and round, perfect for non-bender moving, and it quickly became Sokka's new "Toph's Super-Senses Distractor." If he could only get it rolling down the hill, it might cause enough of a mess to get Toph to lower her guard a little, and he could spring at her from mid-air to avoid her senses.

_Good a plan as I've got._

Chancing a glance, he managed to get the general location of Toph's column before a peppering of rocks showered dust all over him.

_She's kinda close with those._

Taking a deep breath, he picked up a few decent-sized stones and tossed them away from him, hoping to give himself a second or two before he grabbed the lip of the plateau and hoisted himself upwards, ducking behind his Toph Distractor to avoid more rocks, and heaved, the much heavier rock barely shifting.

_Dammit, move!_

With a few more grunts and a pulled muscle, Sokka managed to move the boulder from its rest. Putting the second phase of his plan in action, he pushed, hard, removing the boulder and sending it crashing down the hillside, as close to Toph's column as he could manage.

_Go!_

Trying to be as quick and light-footed as possible, Sokka closed the distance on Toph in five steps and launched himself from the ridge, laughing happily as he avoided another flurry of stones.

_Got ya Toph!_

When Toph yawned, and another column of earth sprang up between her and Sokka, Sokka was in no position to do much of anything about it.

The column caught him, hardening to solid rock, limbs splayed in all directions, tongue hanging out, not six inches from Toph's own platform.

"Sokka, Sokka, Sokka..." Toph shook her head, trying to hold back her laughter. "It's not smart to laugh while you're trying to ambush someone. Especially not someone with better hearing that you." She laughed, a deep, unbidden belly laugh she just couldn't keep back anymore. She patted his cheek and dissolved the column, leaving her standing over Sokka, who had fallen in a less than graceful heap.

"I'll remember that...Ow!" He moaned as he got up, his back cracking audibly.

Toph was still laughing, and even though he knew she'd gone easy on him, he could see she felt better, too. Her shoulders drooped less, and her eyes, pale though they always were, matched the grin plastered on her face.

_Spirits, she's even pretty after kicking my ass...Stop it!_

But the image stuck with him as they gathered up their gear. Toph was much happier than she'd been before, but Sokka was fighting yet another silent war within, trying desperately to make some sense of what he was doing to himself and getting nowhere. Again.

They gathered up everything, and were about to leave when Toph surprised them both by wrapping Sokka in a tight hug, her face nestled perfectly into his shoulder, trying her best to convey the gratitude she couldn't say to her friend with the motion.

"Thanks Sokka. I really needed that."

He smiled, lifting a hand to stroke her hair softly. "It's okay. After all..." And for the first time, he almost couldn't force the next sentence out, adding yet another battle to his silent war. Why was it so hard to say what'd he'd been saying for years?

"What are best friends for?"


	6. Sparks

**Author's Note:**

**I'm so sorry to everyone who kept up and reviewed this story. I don't know what happened, but somehow I let life and work and girlfriend and games get in the way and this story just got left behind. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed chapter 5, and I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive my transgression and enjoy the new chapter. ^_^ In better news, I have 2 more chapters already in the works/mostly completed, so more updating is bound and determined to happen! **

**Disclaimer: Still nay on the Avatar+=Own. Nope. Nothin'.**

"Hey Toph?"

"What?"

"I think I'm starting to regret this plan."

"Why is that?"

"I forgot your parents think I've kidnapped you. Twice."

"...Oh yeah."

Toph let out a little sigh, and re-adjusted the bangs over her eyes.

"Well, it's too late now. Let's just get this over with."

Sokka nodded and gulped. Taking hold of the large brass knocker, perfectly sculpted into a likeness of the Bei Fong family crest, the Flying Boar, he pounded it twice against the large green front gate of the Bei Fong estate.

The response was nearly instant. Barely after he'd let go, the gate swung open to reveal an elderly man dressed in a pristine green robe, long gray hair tied neatly in a long ponytail, with a curious look on his face. Not two steps later, Toph's eyes grew wide, and she let out in a whisper,

"Uncle Tonji? Is that really you?"

The elder stared for a moment, then his strong features broke into a huge smile.

"Little Toph? Is that really you?"

Her suspicions confirmed, Toph threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around the man. He merely smiled wider and stroked her hair, looking for all the world like it was something he had done a thousand times or more.

Tears were spilling down Toph's cheeks as she pressed herself into her Uncle's chest. Sokka, correctly guessing this was a moment he didn't want to ruin for her, stayed silent.

After a long while, Toph let out a little sniff and pulled back, drying her eyes with the handkerchief her uncle handed her. Waving off her attempt to hand it back, Tonji turned to regard the young man standing behind his beloved niece.

"Toph? I know we have much to discuss, but I feel proper manners must be addressed first. Who is this handsome young fellow? Is this your husband, mayhaps?" He smiled wide.

Toph's jaw dropped open, and a mix-match of stammered words came out with the redness in her cheeks.

Tonji nodded solemnly. "Oh. I see. Did you elope? Or wait, are you just engaged?" He grasped the awestruck Sokka's hand and shook it vigorously. "Congratulations dear boy! I know she's a handful, but you won't find a wife with her heart or talent anywhere else in all the world. Why, when she was just little-"

Sokka recovered before Toph did, Toph looked very convincingly like she was about to faint.

"N-no sir! I'm Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe and me and Toph aren't married or engaged or eloped or anything she's ..." Sokka stopped, flustered.

Tonji nodded solemnly once more, completely at ease. "Oh. I see. Well, in that case, let's get inside and drink something and you can tell me all about that's happened while you and I have been apart."

Turning on his heel, he walked towards the foyer, waving off the guards that had come to investigate. One guard, recognizing the Water Tribe boy, leveled his spear in Sokka's direction.

"Sir! This person is almost wholly responsible for kidnapping lady Toph not once, but twice!"

Tonji turned back around, one eyebrow raising quizzically. "Oh? Toph, is this true?"

Toph was still trying to regain her faculties, but she did manage to shake her head in a clear "no."

"There. You see? She doesn't seem to think so. Let him pass. I will take responsibility for his actions should he decide to "kidnap" my niece again."

"But sir..."

"Enough!" Tonji's voice was forceful, stern. "Let him pass!"

The guard lowered his head, and his weapon, enough to allow Sokka through, and placing both hands behind his back, he turned and once again began to walk.

Even though Sokka himself was thrown for a loop, his warrior instincts and uncanny perception were not. In moments, he felt reasonably sure he had a few key details about Toph's Uncle filed away.

Tonji had a strong, kind face, but Sokka could tell behind the kindly smile and carefully groomed goatee that he had seen battle, probably a lot of it. The slight limp he exhibited when he changed directions confirmed it, but it was the eyes that gave him away. The were kind and compassionate, Sokka could tell, but the green orbs held secrets too, and touch of sorrow. Sokka had been around warriors enough of his life to tell.

He of course said nothing about this, and once Toph got her powers of speech back, they chatted very pleasantly as they walked the length of the Bei Fong courtyard and into the dining hall.

Unable to hold it back any longer, Toph asked, "Uncle? It's not that I'm not excited to see you, but where are my parents?"

Taking a sip of the tea he had been preparing and letting out an appreciative sigh, Tonji replied, "Your parents are out of town for a couple of days, some manner of official business. I was in town for a while and offered to watch over the estate while they were gone. What luck you decided to stop by now, spirits be thanked."

Toph smiled, and sipped her tea. Good, but not nearly as good as Iroh's. Thinking of the older man, so much an uncle to her now as he was father to Zuko, made her smile wider, and she resolved to have her old uncle meet her new one someday.

"So Uncle," Toph piped up. "Let's talk about how I haven't seen or heard anything from you in seven years, hmm?"

Sokka blanched. _Seven years? He obviously cares a lot for her...Seven whole years? Wow. It was hard enough being from Gran-Gran for one._

Tonji choked a little on his tea, but he recovered gracefully. "You got my birthday presents, did you not?"

Toph's smile turned wicked. "Why yes Uncle, I did, but did it occur to you that maybe I wanted to see my favorite and only uncle for my birthday one year?"

Tonji sighed. "Yes my dear, I know. But you already know the reason. The war, of course."

_I was right,_ Sokka mused to himself.

"Then the war ends three years ago, in no small part thanks to you," He stroked her cheek affectionately, "and no sooner do I leave my post, my favorite and only niece leaves home not two days before my arrival and doesn't return a letter for three years." He finished, sternly.

Toph's mouth dropped open, and then snapped shut, the redness returning to her cheeks. _I'm an idiot...I should have guessed one of those might have been from Uncle..._

She took a small sip of her tea. "I'm sorry Uncle, but Dad and me haven't exactly gotten any closer while you were gone."

Tonji nodded. "Lao is not an easy man to get along with, be he father," he gestured towards Toph, "Or younger brother," gesturing towards himself. Taking another sip of his tea, he asked, "So, my favorite niece, what brings you back here after so long? Come to make peace?"

Toph snorted. "Sure Uncle. I could try to the end of days to get Father to see me as anything but a helpless little blind girl, who should just be married off as soon as possible and have my every whim taken care but anything I ever wanted to do, but we both know that's as likely to happen as Sokka becoming an airbender and building castles in the sky."

Tonji's smile softened, and a pained look flashed across his face for just a brief instant, but it wasn't enough for Sokka to miss it.

_He's hiding something...and it has to do with Toph, _Sokka thought to himself. For her sake, he hoped he was wrong, but he knew in his heart he wasn't.

"We're here because Sokka pissed me off and tried to make it up to me by telling me about Earth Rumble Ten, and I have a long overdue appointment for kicking Earthbender ass."

"Tried? You forgave me in ten minutes!"

"Shut up you!" She socked him in the arm, hard.

"OW! What the hell did you do that for?"

"Being obnoxious."

Sokka knew better than to try and refute her answer, drinking his tea and thinking what he was going to draw on her face later while she was asleep.

* * *

They talked long into the afternoon and into the evening, telling much of the story of the journey that ended the war, and receiving exhilarating and side-splitting tales from Tonji in return.

It was well past dark when Tonji had tapped the last of the ashes from his pipe and announced he was going to bed, giving Toph a very light kiss on her forehead while the two young ones were still wiping tears from their eyes from the last story.

"Your...Uncle...Is...Hilarious..." Sokka managed to gasp out between deep lungfuls of much needed air.

"I...Know..." Toph replied, doubled over from the pain in her sides.

The two managed to get themselves together a while later, and Toph showed Sokka to one of the guest rooms across from hers, a feat he found interesting.

"I know this house like my own two feet, Sokka. I was locked up in here for twelve years. I won't be forgetting it any time soon."

He thought about that a moment, and his response was to crush her in a giant hug, lifting her straight off the ground amidst her squeals of protest.

Finally, he stopped twirling her and put her down, laughing a little as she wobbled, and poked his finger into her forehead, just like he used too when she was being difficult.

Her face scrunched up. "You haven't done that in a while."

"Seemed right."

"Uh-huh." She smiled, and gave him the "affectionate" slug in the arm.

As he was rubbing his arm to dull the pain, Sokka looked down at Toph, and in the low light, he could just make out, if he tried hard, the soft curves of her face, the way the light reflected off the hair in her eyes... And he couldn't help himself.

He trailed his fingers into her hair, and brushed it back away from her face and behind her ear, letting his hand trail down her cheek, marveling at how warm she was and how beautiful she looked...

He wanted to say something, anything. He wanted to pull his hand away, so badly, but he couldn't. He was rooted to the spot.

It seemed like forever later, but he finally managed to crack out in a dry, husky voice,

"Toph, I-"

In one swift motion, Toph put a finger to his lips, and shook her head, and softly pressed her other hand to his for just a moment before pulling his hand free.

" Good night, Sokka." Her voice trembled, and she pulled free, slipping quickly into her room.

"Yeah...Good night...Toph." He turned and entered his own room.

* * *

As soon as the door clicked shut, he slumped against it, hurt, confused, angry, and excited all at once.

"What is wrong with me..." He asked himself, as his head slumped forward into his hands.

* * *

Toph was leaning against her own door, her legs curled tight to her, body shaking with silent sobs, trying desperately to hold back the flood of tears that wanted so desperately to get out.


	7. Complications

**AN: Thanks so much to Dranna123, itshardtostealfatkids, Gaztasterofpork, .RubyT, and tomboy 26! I appreciate the reviews guys, especially since it's been so long since my last update. I admit, this one is a little short, I thought it was longer while I was writing it, but rest assured, the next few chapters will be worth it. As it turns out, I have 4 more chapters finished that need to make the trip from paper to computer, but they're coming!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. I do not own the Avatar. Sad I am.  
**

Dawn broke another weary night for Sokka, who dragged himself up with the sun for lack of anything better to do. Cursing himself still for what happened the previous night, he grabbed his sword, determined to work himself sane or unconscious, whichever came first.

Padding softly down the hall to the giant courtyard past the foyer, the crisp morning air revived him, filling his lungs with resolve that today was going to be a better day.

_Katara really is rubbing off on me...Silly optimism._

The courtyard was a beautiful place, especially with the rising sun coming up behind him, and it only helped to reinforce his new Katara-infused mood.

His sword, flashing with pride in the morning light, cleared its sheath, and he threw himself into a routine with relish.

He was deep in concentration when a strong voice rang out clearly, "Your sword...A Piandao original, is it not?"

Sokka stopped, looking down at the blade with a twinge of guilt. He hadn't seen his old mentor in months.

"Yes...And no. I trained under Master Piandao, and he helped me make this."

Tonji's eyebrow cracked a bit. "You studied under Piandao? It must have taken a great deal of courage to approach a Fire Nation master during the war."

Sokka scoffed. "Not really. It was a good mix of stupidity and self-pity that really did it. Even used my real name, like an idiot. Of course, Master knew the whole time that I was was Water Tribe, and still gave me a chance anyway. Friends thought I was crazy when told him who I actually was, but I had too. It felt wrong to learn something so personal and not be honest about who I was. Wasn't the honorable thing to do. Turned out alright, though." He broke into a huge grin. "Turns out he was one of the good guys."

Tonji nodded, giving a small smile in return. "I know. We're member of the same club, you could say."

Sokka's grin turned sly. "Why am I not surprised you're a member of the White Lotus?"

Tonji's smile widened.

"I would say because Piandao has been my best friend for many, many years, and I have a sword that looks much like yours."

Tonji calmly slid his hand into his robe and pulled out a beautiful blade, thinner than Sokka's, but still the same style and shape, trimmed perfectly with gold and jade.

"I too like to stretch my muscles in the morning, especially on such a beautiful morning as this...Would you care for a friendly contest?"

Sokka's grinned widened, ear-to-ear. _Why couldn't Toph's father be more like this?_

"Happy too."

Sokka took a step back, onto the balls the of his feet, and he raised his sword up and even with his shoulder, point held steady towards the older man.

Tonji widened his stance and flicked his blade downward, smoothly placing his second hand behind his back.

Intending to take take advantage of his youth, Sokka made the first move, dashing forward and changing direction, striking a calculated blow meant to feel out his opponent. He struck low, keeping most of his weight back. Tonji didn't move, just flicked his blade again to stop the strike, when he exploded in motion, spinning and dragging his blade along the edge of Sokka's, causing a shower of sparks. Before Sokka knew it or (he was ashamed to admit) even lifted his gaze from the obvious distraction, Tonji's open palm slammed into his chest, and he flew backwards, landing in a heap.

"Ouch." He grimaced, holding his ribs. Tonji was there, offering a helping hand up.

"That was incredible. I couldn't move, it just caught my eyes and then next I knew..."

Tonji smiled. "It's just a trick, dear boy. I know a thousand more like it, and I'd be more than happy to show you, if you're interested."

Sokka's grimace of pain turned into a grin of joy.

"Of course I would! I mean, I get so little time with Master Piandao and you and he are friends so I know he'd approve and you're really good and-" He stopped. "I mean," He bowed slightly, "I'd be honored, Master Tonji."

Tonji laughed. "I haven't been called that in a very long time. Just Tonji will do."

* * *

For the rest of the morning, Sokka spent most of his time on the flat of his back. Tonji was a master in every sense of the word, even excluding his own considerable skill, giving in his praise but a stickler for discipline. Toph came in about mid-morning, and most unlike her, stayed quiet, seemingly content to merely "watch" as she enjoyed the warm sun.

They broke for lunch around noon, and Sokka and Tonji decided they both could use a bath first, sighing deeply as they lowered themselves into the hot outdoor bath.

After a while, Tonji turned to Sokka, deciding to have a little fun with the young warrior. Completely serene, he asked the boy, "So, dear boy...What are your plans for Toph? You are planning to propose, aren't you?"

Sokka sighed, and sunk lower into the water.

"Well, that wasn't quite the answer I was expecting. Is something wrong?" He asked.

Sokka looked up, seeing genuine concern from the older man. He sighed again, and sat up straighter, giving his face a tired, exhausted wipe.

" I don't know. I don't know how I feel anymore. It used to be so easy. Toph was my best friend, Suki was my girlfriend, and I was happy. Things made sense, and I have no idea when things stopped making sense, but they don't anymore and I can't stand it. Suki's basically a ghost, she comes in, pretends to be there and then leaves again, and every time I get near Toph I just wanna..." He shook his head. " I just don't understand."

Tonji smiled sagely, and placed a reassuring hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I can't speak for your heart, my young friend, but I will offer this advice; Your head has no business in matter of the heart, and your heart always knows better than your head, no matter how smart your head may be."

Sokka looked up at him.

"You know Iroh, don't you?"

* * *

They had a light lunch in the courtyard, Toph amusing herself by bending underneath Sokka every time he tried to take a bite of his lunch. They were laughing, enjoying the others company, when the guards began bolting towards the door, falling into position as the main gate opened.

As Lao and Poppy Bei Fong entered.

In that moment, Sokka sat back and really took stock of Toph's parents. Like he had generally every time he'd seen him, Lao wore a perpetual frown, and Sokka could certainly see where Toph got her temper from. Poppy, while she was a beautiful, elegant woman, she was also very haughty, a trait Toph thankfully ignored. They hadn't changed. Not that Sokka had really expected it, but maybe a little more of his sister's undying optimism had rubbed off.

_This is going to go great. _ Sokka groaned.

He'd barely had an opportunity to stand up before Lao and he locked eyes, and Lao's face moved from frown to full-on roar of anger as his finger flew into a point and he bellowed out,

"Guards! Arrest that boy!"


	8. Interlude

**Author's Note: Thanks to TBei15, tomboy 26, and trunksgirl85 for the reviews on Chapter 7! I have several more chapters written, it's just difficult to find the time to transition from what I'm able to put on paper at work to a word processor...I thought about just doing that at work, but then I remembered I deal with some serious high-security information and I have no intention of going to jail if someone catches me with a flash drive, regardless of how innocent my intentions may be. ANYWAY. Moving on. This chapter marks the first in a pocket of Chapters away from the main Storyline of Sokka and Toph, but really helps set the stage for the ending of the story, which I'm excited to say is still a ways off. These off-chapters are not in any particular order, just put in where I think there's a decent enough spot in the main storyline to toss them, but they are important. ANYWAY ONCE MORE, thanks for reading and any/all reviews are helpful and appreciated! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: Nay. Nay Avatar. Yay, but nay. Sad day.  
**

"Stupid Sokka! Stupid stupid silly...!" Suki growled in frustration, and the training dummy she was currently attacking shook from the ferocity of the enraged warrior, and much to the dismay of the poor wooden man, she showed no sign of relenting.

Over and over she battered the dummy, raining heavy blow after heavy blow upon the carved assailant until a sharp wooden _crack! _Rent the air as one of Suki's strong legs came flying across, a perfectly executed attack followed by a loud _thump! _As the artificial enemy came clean apart.

Breathing heavily, Suki removed her headband and the traditional Kyoshi Warrior's garb, letting her long hair flow freely as she sighed with pleasure at the removal of the heavy armor. Looking up, she could just see the sun beginning to set over Kyoshi Island. Beautiful, as always, but unlike usual, it did nothing to brighten her mood.

She'd returned for a night to the home she and Sokka shared to find him gone, which wasn't so much of a problem until she saw the note. Even after that, she was fine, until she saw the giant hole in the backyard and had a miniature heart attack that Sokka'd been taken by the Dai Li again. Once her head caught up to her heart, she realized that was unlikely, but there was another answer.

Toph.

The very name sent quivers of anger through her, and just as quickly brought spikes of shame.

_Why? I love Toph! Why am I so angry at her all the time?_

Deep down in her heart, the ever-practical warrior knew the answer. She also knew, however, that that line of thinking was definitely not something she was prepared to deal with.

Sighing, and despite the heat, shivering a little in nothing her slip and breast wraps, she walked softly to the small beach outside of the Warrior's training dojo and sat down on the soft sand, bringing her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes. For several minutes she sat there, using a trick she learned from Aang to detach herself from her surroundings. The lapping of the waves, the soft cries of the giant Koi off in the distance, calmed her, bringing her inner peace back in balance. She was just about break her trance and head in when she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump and her warrior instincts to kick in as she tried to grab the hand in an iron-hard lock. The hand danced away, much quicker than it should have, and it wasn't until a cheery, melodic voice called out, "Easy, easy!" That the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors relaxed, recognizing the voice as Ty Lee's, and she dropped her guard and let out a small smile as one of her dearest friends came and sat beside her.

As long as she'd known and loved the other Kyoshi Warriors, none of them could hold a candle to Ty Lee, either in fighting or friendship. The former circus girl was lightning-quick, agile, cunning, and wildly unpredictable. She'd managed to take out the entire set of Kyoshi Warriors, minus Suki, by herself. Only Suki had stood a match for her, but even though she'd held out longer, eventually she too succumbed to the powerful contortionist. As for friendship, there was nobody in all the nations that gave more of themselves to a friendship than Ty Lee. She loved openly, honestly, and with everything she had, and it was easy to tell with every breath that once Ty Lee loved you, nothing could be done to shake the girl's trust and devotion to you. For a girl who grew up during a very, very long war and spent the majority of those years protecting her island from any possible invader, the notion of being so open with people you hadn't known your whole life was foreign to her...Until Ty Lee changed that.

Over the ensuing months and years, the girls had gone from enemies, to comrades, to friends, to...Something else. Suki didn't know quite what it was, but she knew that Ty Lee was special to her in a way no one, not even Sokka, was.

"What's wrong sweetie?"

The question, so innocently asked with nothing but kindness and love in the other girl's voice, was simply too much for Suki to bear. Before she even knew what she was doing, she had grabbed on to the other girl and began to cry, hot tears spilling down her cheeks as she clutched Ty Lee for dear life. Ty Lee, even clearly not expecting the outburst, didn't say a word, just wrapped her arms around the sobbing warrior and stroked her hair softly, whispering words of encouragement in her ear as Suki cried out all of her pain and frustration into Ty Lee's soft...Warm...Bare shoulder?

With a start, Suki realized that Ty Lee was wet, and not just from her tears. The girl was clad in a tightly wrapped cloth towel, and her hair was wet and bedraggled.

_She must have taking a swim, _she thought, sitting up.

With the fading light coming behind them and the close proximity, Suki couldn't help but notice (and be secretly jealous of) how absolutely breathtaking Ty Lee really was.

She was the very definition of gorgeous. Ty Lee had a body that anyone would be jealous of, a combination of good family lines and back-breaking hard work that left her with curves that looked like they were sculpted from the purest marble; Her hair was long, silky, and accented her tanned skin perfectly; Her large, almond shaped eyes fit the rest of her beautiful face to a tee, and came together to make the girl into such a classic beauty Suki almost couldn't breathe. While she admitted to herself she was little jealous of Ty Lee's looks, it was her kindness and loving nature that Suki truly treasured, though, it certainly wasn't the first thing people thought of when they saw the gorgeous young woman. Ty Lee had sworn off boys when she joined the Kyoshi Warriors, determined to create a new, less attention-dependent version of herself, and as far as Suki knew, she'd stuck to it, even though every eligible male on Kyoshi (and a few not so available) had tried.

Shaking her head to clear the post-cry mist from her eyes, Suki hiccuped, and was about to say her thanks when Ty Lee shushed her, and dried her eyes with a corner of the towel she was wearing, re-wrapping it as she got comfortable beside her friend.

Suki, drained from the ordeal and her earlier workout, rest her head once more on Ty Lee's shoulder. Ty Lee wrapped her arm around the other girl, and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Tell me what's wrong honey." It wasn't a question, but it was far from a demand.

Suki hiccuped once more and spoke, "I don't know. Something isn't right with me and Sokka, and every time I hear Toph's name now I get really...Angry. I don't know why. It's just so _easy_ for them, they don't have to work at being together like me and Sokka do...Or did, I guess. Those two being together is like...It's like..."

"Being with you?" Ty Lee replied, smiling down at her.

Suki looked up, and realization cause a smile to spread across her pretty face.

"Yeah. It's like something is missing, something I keep trying to put my finger on, and the harder I try to find it, the further it pushes us apart."

Ty Lee began to laugh, not in an unkind fashion, but the other girl was still hurt nonetheless, and Suki tried to stand up and leave before Ty Lee squeezed her tighter and sat her back down.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I don't mean to laugh. How many relationships have you had?"

"Just the one, really. Sokka's been the only serious one."

"Well, I know what's happening. You may not know it, and he may not know it, and I do know you won't like it, but I know what it is." She grew serious for a moment.

"You two just broke up."

Suki sat up, alarmed. "What? But I love..."

Ty Lee held up a finger to shush her once more. "I get that, I do. You love him, and we know he feels the same way, but that doesn't change the facts. Something missing? Being jealous and _angry_ of his _best friend,_ who he's never shown even a _teensy_ bit of romantic interest in? Honey, believe me. I don't doubt the love is there, but sometimes love just isn't enough. You're not happy, it's pretty clear, and you better believe Sokka is smart enough to pick up on that, and I'd bet he's not happy either. I'm sorry sweetie, but you did. You broke up with him just now."

Ty Lee's gentle, but confirming speech broke through to her, hard. Ty Lee was right. It was going to kill her, and her heart was breaking thinking about what it was going to do to Sokka, but she felt in her heart the other girl was right. Something wasn't right, and it was getting worse, not better.

She cracked a watery smile as fresh tears welled up. "Thanks Ty Lee." She whispered." My heart is breaking, but you're right."

Ty Lee smiled, a soft, comforting one. " I know sweetie."

Suki wiped her eyes again and sniffled. "I must look like such a mess right now."

Ty Lee surprised her by taking her face in both of her soft, warm hands, and looked deep into her eyes.

"Suki, you have never looked more beautiful that you do right now. Your aura is..._glowing._ Even after everything that just happened, you're still just so _strong._ Unbendable. You're just...Radiant. The sun should be so lucky."

Suki smiled, a real, genuinely warm smile. "Ty Lee, I-"

Ty Lee couldn't help it anymore. The feeling was just so overwhelming, the other girl's aura just wrapped around her like a warm, bright cloak, and she couldn't stop herself. Softly, ever so softly, she pressed her lips to Suki's, hands still softly holding Suki's face to meet her own...And Suki didn't pull away.

In that moment, everything became clear.

In that moment, Suki understood, absolutely, what was missing.

This.


	9. The Moments that Define Us, Part 1

**AN: Thanks to Vin-the Mazoku**, **TBei15, Tomboy 26, and AnimeFallingStar! I had every intention of posting both parts of this chapter at the same time, but I ran out of writing time before I had to get some damn sleep before I go to work. I appreciate everyone who liked what I saw in Ty Lee and Suki, in my mind, the two are just right for each other. However, more on them later. NOW, we return to our beleaguered Hero and Heroine as they find ways to deal with Toph's own Fatherlord!**

**...Don't tell Zuko.**

**Sidenote, the next part will be up within a day or so. The two parts of Chapter 9 are really meant to be done together, but I'm already only getting four hours of sleep as it is and I hope a little's better than nothing.**

**Thanks again! RxR! I like it way mucho!**

**~Raggy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I went classy on that disclaimer's ass. **

"Guards! Arrest that boy!"

"...Wait, what?"

Sokka really hadn't been paying attention, but when a bunch of guards leveled weapons and began to advance on him, he snapped to pretty quickly.

"Why am I being arrested?...Again?"

Lao's fury only increased.

"I want you locked away before you and that delinquent Avatar steal away my daughter! Again!"

Sokka blanched. _Right. Figures he'd remember that._

"Okay, _Enough!_"

Toph stomped her foot, and a wave of earth radiated outwards, sending guards (and unfortunately the picnic) flying.

If Lao was mad before, the outburst only likened him to a volcano.

"Toph, you are my daughter and I will _not_ have you running off with this...Water Tribe _peasant_ again!"

And that's when Toph lost it.

She couldn't help it anymore. She began to laugh, a deep, piercing howl-like sound, from down, deep in her soul. Sokka knew that laugh. That laugh only came out when it was the only thing keeping her from quite literally killing something...Or someone. The tears in her eyes and the rolling on the ground meant violence was going to ensue. Shortly. Sokka closed his eyes, and prepared for the worst.

This was going to get bloody.

Lao, clearly bewildered, stood with his mouth agape as he watched his daughter quite literally roll around on the grass, laughing and crying to herself.

Much to Sokka's surprise and eventual glee, for the first time in the entire lifetime he'd known Toph, that spectacle did not end in copious amounts of death.

With a huge sigh of contentment and a few more chuckles, Toph got up, brushing herself off before pointing her sightless eyes at her father and grinning fiercely.

"How are you going to stop me?"

Toph could not have surprised her father more if she had come home with spiky hair, bending fire, and juggling turtle-ducks while proclaiming to be the new Fire Lord.

"I'm...Father..Me...Young lady...Never..."

Toph shook her head in disgust. "I come back for a visit after almost four years, and the first thing you do is try and arrest my best friend? The one who's saved my life more times than I can count on my fingers and toes?" She laughed again."Even worse, you actually believe all of a sudden I care what you _think_? I ran away when I was _twelve_. I'm almost seventeen now. What in the name of Oma and Shu did you expect to happen, I was just going to come running back like the little pathetic blind girl you always made me out to be?"

For once in his life, Lao Bei Fong had no answer. So, predictably, Toph decided to rub it in a little more.

"I helped save the world. I trained the Avatar. I'm a personal representative to both the Fire Lord _and_ the Earth King, I have a standing invitation to the Council of Four Elements held every year, I was also personally inducted as an Acolyte in the most secret and powerful society in the four nations by the master _himself, _and was officially named the greatest earthbender in the known world by the man who previously held the title for _inventing my own style of bending._" She stopped laughing, and glared daggers at the rapidly shrinking man in front of her.

"What have you done lately?"

No answer came.

"I thought so." Toph answered, smugly. "Sokka, get our stuff. I think it's time we left." Sokka, eternally relieved, disappeared.

Poppy came forward to stand by her defeated husband. "Toph," She tried to say, "All we ever wanted was what was best-" Toph was having none of it.

"Oh spirits mother, don't give me that. You saw ironclad proof that I could take care of myself, that I could hold my own and be my own person, maybe even make a friend or two, and instead you tried to lock me away from the rest of the world even more than you already had. I lived here until I was twelve and it took me helping to save the world before people even knew I _lived_ here!" Toph ranted, practically screaming. "I've had enough of whatever your "best for me" is. I know what's best for me, and it sure as the ground I'm standing on isn't to be found here. You've spent years pretending you don't have a daughter; Here's your chance to live it." She spit, taking a deep breath for the finishing blow.

"I'm leaving. For good. Good-bye Father, Mother."

Decision made, she turned to her uncle. He stood, small smile on his face as he held his arms open for her, a comfort she gladly accepted.

"I love you, little flower." He whispered to her. "You are free now; Make the most of it. Live your choices with your choices, the way you and I always knew you would." She smiled up at him.

"If you're ever in Ba Sing Se..."

He smiled, hugging her close.

"I know. We'll see each other soon."

She sniffled, determined not to let her favorite and only uncle see her cry anymore. Setting her shoulders, she walked past her still-stunned parents and made a beeline for the giant courtyard door...Before her mother grabbed her shoulder, spun her around, and slapped her as hard as the small woman could, the violent sound reverberating around the courtyard like a thunderclap.

Stone-faced, Toph said nothing and left, Sokka re-appearing right on her heels.

The doors had scarcely closed behind them when Toph stopped, sighed, and leaned back against the stone wall, dropping to the ground with a audible thump.

Sokka sat down beside her. "Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked, softly.

She shook her head, absolutely determined not to cry." No. Not here. Not ever, really." He nodded.

Rooting around in his pack, he pulled out his canteen and dabbed a clean cloth with some water.

"Here. For your cheek. It'll bruise if you don't." She waved it off.

"Let it. I deserve it."

Sokka pulled it back, clearly confused. "There's no way you didn't feel her coming. You let her do it." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I did, because that was the only original thought my mother has ever had, and she deserved to see it through."

Sokka shifted uncomfortably, clearly not satisfied with the answer.

Toph sighed, a small square of earth lifting her to her feet.

"Com'n Sokka. I want to go home."

Sokka got up beside her, a bit less gracefully, and brushed the dirt from himself.

"But the tournament's tommor-"

"Do I LOOK like I care, Sokka?" Toph turned and screeched. "I want to get OUT of this city and NEVER come back! Do you hear me? I want to LEA-"

Sokka's hand clamped down over her mouth, with surprising force. A stunned Toph was recovering and just about to attempt to bite Sokka's hand when he removed it, and placed it against her cheek instead.

"I hear you. I do. It's me, Toph. There's a problem though." He squirmed a bit.

"What, Sokka. What is the problem." Toph deadpanned.

"The ferry's closed for another two days."

"Of course it is."

"You knew that. I told you when we left. Which is why we left when we did."

"Don't try to pin this-" She was about to yell, remembered he was right, and deflated. Defeated, she sighed again and hefted her pack.

"It won't be so bad. We'll stay in town for a day or two. How about I buy us a drink?" Nothing. "...Or two?..." Still nothing. "Or as many as you want?"

Toph's famous-or infamous, depending on the perspective- wicked, "we're getting into so much trouble tonight but you damn sure know you love it" smile flashed, for but a moment.

"Now you're talkin', Snoozles. Time to drink!"

* * *

Whatever the Innkeeper had seen before in his lifetime, he had never experienced the combined might of Sokka and Toph's drinking prowess.

Bottles came and went as the pair frolicked and cavorted, splitting their time between drinking the inn dry and regaling the other patrons with wild tales of fabulous pranks and war stories-The time Aang went on a spirit-world journey and they left his body in a hog-monkey cave was a particular favorite- but the Innkeeper couldn't argue with the business they were bringing in. After all, it wasn't every day one got to meet two war heroes, especially ones that were part of the team that helped saved the world, not to mention that one was the avatar's earthbending teacher and a hometown hero to boot. The other...Well, he was entertaining at the very least.

As the night went on, it became easier and easier for the Innkeeper to notice- a man, who, after all, read people for a living- that the two currently making a mess of his inn (while at the same time giving him the most profitable night in months) in all his years he had never seen two people more in sync with each other. Each movement, however exaggerated, was met with an equal response, each antic or joke meet with just the right amount of smack talk or even violence.

However, he wasn't a fool, and he knew they weren't either. They had seen war, pain, sadness, and loss firsthand, and rose above it to become heroes of the world and champions of their respective nations. Of course, they were still young, and were clearly enjoying themselves.

They were blowing off steam, and from the looks of it, it was a well-practiced act.

Still, he was more than a little relieved when the water tribe warrior snatched the last bottle they had and, (much to the girl's dismay) drained it, picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder (to her much louder and more vocal dismay) and brought her upstairs, with plenty of whistling and cat-calling accompanying them.

Smiling a little to himself in spite of their positively destructive antics, he pulled out the bag of coins they'd given him before their first drop, and the little note they'd left inside:

_Sorry in advance. Mostly._

_ Sokka and Toph_

The Innkeeper could see scribbling where the line above had been written, crossed out, re-written, and what appeared to be crossed out again._  
_

_Toph and Sokka_


	10. The Moments that Define Us, Part 2

**Author's Note:**

**There aren't words to say how sorry I am to everyone who's reviewed this story, everyone who kept it for me; There's no excuse good enough. By the time I realized I'd completely forgotten about this story, I'd lost ALL of my notes, and gone through a pretty rough break-up...But, like I said, there's no excuse, especially when I was so damned close to the good part. If anyone still cares, I sat down, grit it out, and re-wrote my notes as best I could. I still know how it ends, but I kinda forgot how it gets there...But hell, that's half the fun, isn't it?  
**

**Once again, there's no words to describe how much your reviews mean to me; I'm so _sorry_ this took so long to get out. There is more on the way, though, and spirits be damned, I will see this story done.  
**

**~Raggy  
**

"...Hic! Sokka! Put...Put me _down!_"

The earthbender, while tiny, was also very angry, and very _drunk. _Luckily for Sokka, there wasn't any earth around for her to bend and quite possibly kill him with.

So, he did what anyone else would do in his situation; he bumped her a couple of times, heard her moan, smiled, and plodded up the stairs, as quickly as his mostly-drunk self could manage. He stumbled a little on the top step, eliciting another moan from Toph, before drunkenly pushing open the door to their room.

Being that it was the only room available, and the two of them had slept next to each other what amounted to hundreds of times, the smallish bed in the middle of the room wasn't much of an issue. It was small, and sparsely furnished, but it was _clean_, and that said a lot for the quality of the establishment as far as Sokka was concerned. It had a bed, a small table next to it, a desk on the other side, and, of all things, a balcony. Small wonders.

Unceremoniously dumping Toph on the bed, she exploded into a fit of giggles as Sokka went about unlacing his boots, mercifully freeing them before removing his swordbelt and resting it next to the bed. Toph, knowing the routine, had tried to undress herself, and managed to do nothing more than tangle herself in her own shirt, the slight shift she wore beneath it shimmering softly in the dim light of the moonlit room as she rid herself of the offending object.

Having removed his own shirt and shaken out his wolftail, Sokka sighed and opened his eyes, which immediately doubled in size. Toph looked..._radiant._ The moonlight bathed her, her pale, flawless skin and her shift practically _glowing._ Sokka heard his breath catch as he looked at her, his head already fuzzy from the alcohol as what remained of his conscious mind _fought_ the physical reaction seeing her was doing to him...And then, she dropped the bomb on him. He never had a chance.

She leaned forward, her tiny head, freed from the cumbersome headband she always wore, met the curve of his bare chest, and she purred with content as her cheek met the muscles of his chest.

"_Mmmmm."_ Her hands came around to rest on his stomach, the muscles there wincing at the contact. "So warm..." She sighed again.

Sokka couldn't think. He wanted too. He wanted to gently disengage her, lie her down, and stroke her hair as she fell asleep, like he had dozens of times. He did want that. But _spirits_...He wanted something else so, so much more.

He battled with himself, _shaking_ with exertion, when Toph noticed his quivering, and looked up, her chin planted firmly into his chest, as her sightless eyes sought where she knew his were. "Sokka? What's wrong?"

That did it. He'd tried. _So_ damned hard, but he'd tried.

He wasn't exactly sure how it happened. He knew somehow his hand came up under her chin, and he felt himself leaning down, like he was dreaming it while it happened...Until his lips met hers.

Fireworks. Nothing but pure fireworks. His head exploded with the sheer feeling of it, the feeling of his lips on hers, hearing her gasp in surprise and then push harder against him as her hands wrapped around him, pulling him into her, crashing together into the bed in a mess of combined lips, hair and wandering limbs.

He was just about done exploring her bottom lip with his teeth when she tightened, and pushed him away, as hard as she could. He crashed into the door with an audible _thud_, surprise wide in his eyes before Toph picked herself up off the bed and _launched_ herself at him, crashing into him with a force that about took his breath away as she latched her mouth onto his again.

In the back of his mind, Sokka knew this wasn't going to end well. He knew it. This wasn't this way this was supposed to happen; But it felt so _right_. The sweetness of her lips, the soft moan she gave him as he worked his tiny bites and kisses down the side of her beautifully pale neck, the feel of her bare back under his hands...It all felt _right._

Toph knew, too. She knew that however long she wanted this, and _spirits_ did she want this, that this was going to change the dynamic of her and Sokka, for better or worse, forever. There was no going back from this. But he...He just felt so _damned good._ He was warm and muscley in all the right places, and hard and scruffy and sweet in all the right places, and she could feel the pinpricks of the scars he'd accrued over the years under her wandering fingers, and she did her best to memorize him, to remember the location of everything that made Sokka _Sokka._

She tried to understand that. That the tiny voice of her rational mind was screaming at her to stop this before something terrible happened, but she squashed it, firmly, with the sheer force of her _want. _There was nothing more in the entire world that Toph wanted more than this, right here, right now.

And so, unlatching her legs from around Sokka's waist, she stopped kissing him long enough to pull the shift she was wearing over her head, and she could _feel_ the hunger in his gaze as he drank her in, and she heard a growl form in his throat as he lead her back to the bed, his large hands making her dizzy with pleasure as he ran them freely over her, and she knew that he knew there was so, _so _much of her skin he hadn't kissed yet.

* * *

Sokka awoke to the feel of moonlight pouring in over him, and he groaned as he rolled over, his head still fuzzy and starting to pound from the hangover he just _knew _he was going to have. When he regained enough of his senses to realize he was, in fact, naked, and a quick glance to his right had Toph sleeping peacefully, also quite naked, the awful realization of what he'd...And, he guessed, she, had done, washed over him, and he choked back bile as it tried to rise in his throat.

"Oh _spirits..._ What have I done..."

A soft, tinkling giggle snapped his head up, and he instinctively reached for his sword as the laughter chimed again, sounding so..._Familiar..._

With a snap of realization, he knew who that giggling was, and a feeling of relief _crashed_ into him like a rogue moose-lion.

Yue. It was Yue. Which meant that everything, everything was going to bed okay.

He got up, pulling his light cloth pants on, and walked, calmly, to the balcony, blinking as the blinding white light lessened to reveal Yue, kicking her feet softly, sitting on the rail of the balcony.

She was always beautiful; Always had been. Even now, she never failed to take his breath away, and the look in her eyes, one of pure, unadulterated _love,_ forced him to turn his head in shame, brimming with tears.

"Don't be sad, Sokka." She said, softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. "I'm not angry with you. I never was."

Her touch was like soothing water, washing through him, cleansing his spirit. He took a deep breath and turned to face her, watering eyes catching hers. "I'm so _sorry, _Yue..."

"Stop it." She said, more forcefully. "You had nothing to do with me being what I am. In fact, I have you to thank I have a life at all...Strange as it is." She smiled lightly. "But that's not why I'm here, Sokka. I'm here because you needed me."

Sokka's eyes narrowed. "You can _do _that? I've wanted to see you so badly, so many times..."

She laughed, defusing his lurking anger. "It's not really something I can control, Sokka. If you see me again...And I'm not saying you will...It'll be because you _needed_ me to be there. Like right now. Talk to me, Sokka. Like you always do."

Sokka's face dropped. " You hear that?"

She nodded, solemnly. "Every time. You keep me going, Sokka. You're part of the reason I come out every night. It's as close to you as I can be."

Sokka choked, the tears he'd tried to hold back flowing freely now. "Spirits, Yue, I never _knew..._ I miss you, more than...I'll never...I _miss you._" He repeated, wracked with sobs.

"Shhh." She said, holding out an arm, and she pulled him into her, cooing softly to him as he let it all go, his pain, his _guilt,_ the terrible helplessness he felt when he watched her float away from him.

"I'm here for you, Sokka. I'm always here for you, one way or another. I love you. You know that. But I _can't_ be with you...Which is where she comes in." Yue smiled sadly.

He pulled away from her, eyes red. "What do you mean? What about...What about Suki? You let me be with her, when you left, Yue, I _know_ you did. I could feel it. How is what's happened...Well, happening... With me and Toph _okay _with you?"

"Because at the time, you needed her," Yue explained. "And she needed you. You're good together, Sokka, you are. But the future is always clouded, even for me...Especially then. I didn't know there was another future for you, with her. And your future with her _shines._ Now that I know it's there, it's hard to look at anything else. You two are just..._dazzling._" Sokka look at her, bewildered.

I can't have you, Sokka. But I want what's best for you...And at the time, I thought it was her. I was wrong, and I'm _sorry._" She looked at him, eyes wide with sadness. "If I'd only known..."

"Don't." Sokka said, taking her hand. "Don't say that..."

"But it's _true._" She growled. "If I had known, I could have saved you so much pain..."

"That kind of pain, Yue, is the kind that makes life worth living." Sokka smiled, softly. "I don't regret being with her. I realize now, clearer than I ever have, that it's over; Spirits know, I can't go back after this, but I don't _regret _it. I love her; I always will, like I love you. But people grow. People change. And me and Toph...I _want _her, Yue. I want...I want _everything,_ and I want it with _her._" The conviction in his voice surprised him; When did everything become so clear?

"I know." Yue replied, softly. "I see you, Sokka. I see the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you, when you can't see. It's the way _I_ see you."

He didn't say anything then, just wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning against the railing, and she hugged him, as tight as she could.

"You have to go, don't you." He said, resigned.

"Yes. I do. But don't be sad, Sokka. I'm always here for you. Always. I love you."

She bent down and softly brushed a kiss against his cheek, as he closed his eyes and sighed, feeling her light slowly fade.

"I love you too, Yue. Always."

* * *

He woke up again, this time, with his head, and his heart, clear. His eyes stayed closed, for now. It was still dark, but he knew, internally, it was close to morning.

He lifted his hand, moving it to slide down the space where Toph's arm was supposed to be... and wasn't. He let his hand fall to the mattress, feeling it thump softly as it took the space where Toph had been, and he sighed, feeling his breath catch again, for entirely the wrong reason.

The spot was cold.

"Toph..."


	11. Resolve

**Author's Note:**

**It fills my heart with glee to see everyone enjoying my tale like this...Especially after everything's that happened. Thank you, truly, for everyone who's read and reviewed for me. This chapter is very short, probably the shortest one I've written, but I can't just fill it with meaningless details and it didn't belong with the previous or next chapter, so it's kinda wandering on its own. This is another shift in perspective, but I promise we'll returned to our beleaguered hero and heroine.  
**

She would never get tired of looking at her, she decided. The dawn was breaking over the small island, the soft, golden light painting the room in a pale yellow. Ty Lee was still asleep, her hair unbound and bedraggled, spilling down her naked back. It danced beautifully along the curve of her hip, the arch of her back, the swell of her...

Suki swallowed, her throat tightening. She felt terrible. While she knew, truly, in her heart, that her and Sokka were over, she'd still cheated on him. Profusely. And with much..._enthusiasm. _The thought...It nearly made her sick.

She should feel terrible.

But Ty Lee...She was _intoxicating._ So many layers Suki didn't even know about before. She knew about how open, and honest, and so damned genuine she was about _everything _that Suki could barely stand it. She'd learned more about the girl in the couple of days they'd spent locked up in her room than she had in three years...And she craved more. She couldn't get enough of her. She doubted she ever would.

She knew, in her heart, right to the left of where she knew about her and Sokka, that this wasn't some passing thing. She knew that. That fact, though...Terrified her. She wasn't ready for this sort of thing. She didn't want to be, really. But it was right here, in front of her...Literally. The thought made her head fuzzy.

Ty Lee murmured a little, shifting her head on her pillow, but didn't wake up.

Suki's eyes drank in the lovely girl once more, feeling a slight flush come to her cheeks. She really couldn't get enough of her. The taste of her lips, her skin, the glow in her cheeks when they...

She felt her own cheeks redden at the memories, and she could feel with it desire rising up in her again.

Pushing everything else aside, she moved closer, pressing herself to Ty Lee's back, running her fingers lightly along her tanned hip as she kissed the smooth shoulder in front of her. Ty Lee let out a small sigh, but stayed still. Suki smiled wickedly, and decided that she was perfectly okay taking the morning to wake her up properly, if she decided nothing else today.

* * *

"You know we have to go back soon." Ty Lee said, gently cupping Suki's face and bringing her eyes to hers.

Suki caught them, and couldn't help the twist of guilt and pain that crossed her face. "I know." She replied, softly. "I know. I can't hide in here forever." Her eyes closed." But I have no idea how to say...How to tell him its over. That...That I've already fallen for someone else." Her eyes opened, watering at the edges.

Ty Lee leaned forward and kissed her, trying to give her all the love and support she had for her in that kiss. "It's not going to be easy." She said, as they broke apart. She pulled Suki to her, wrapping her arms around her, feeling the tightness slowly draining from her muscles as Ty Lee's soft breath caressed her shoulder.

"He's probably not going to take it well. He's loved you a long time, but he's smart, Suki. So he probably knew this was coming, sooner or later. There's a big difference between hearing you say it, and to know that I'm a part of it...Even if he is understanding, I'm not naive enough to think his 'male pride' won't be hurt with you running off with another girl, and he'll probably blame me. To be fair, he's got a right too." She swallowed. "Its going to be hard, Love. But I'm a big girl, and I don't regret it. I can't. You're worth it, and so much more."

Suki's eyes grew wide, and she struggled in Ty Lee's arms. "But, that's not how it-" Ty Lee shushed her, a soft, comforting sound in her ear. "I know that. I'm not worried about that. I'm..." She swallowed again. "I'm terrified he's going to say...Something. Anything, and this whole thing will have been just a crazy, wonderful dream. I just got you, Love. Finally. And I'm not ready to let you go. Not now." She picked her eyes up, finding Suki's. "Not ever. You-"

It was Suki's turn to shush her, the raw emotion in her lover's eyes made Ty Lee's heart skip.

"I love you." Suki said, firmly, _fiercely_." She meant it. She knew it now, beyond a doubt. This was real, and spirits be damned, she'd fight for it, any way she had too.

Ty Lee smiled, all the worry draining her face, and she kissed Suki, deeply. When she pulled back, her eyes were wet, too.

"I love you t-"

An earsplitting roar rang out over the island, and the two could hear yelling and shouting from outside the the small home. With practiced ease, the two of them were off the bed and strapping on armor in seconds. Suki was just tying her belt when Ty Lee stopped her.

"Wait. Listen. You hear that?"

Suki stopped, and cocked her ear. The noises she was hearing, which she thought were alarm, actually sounded like...Cheering?

That roar rang out again, and really listening this time, it sounded...Familiar?

"Oh spirits." The realization hit Suki like a head-butt from the Unagi.

"What?"

"Ty...We-Well, I guess, us, are going to die. Very shortly. Probably badly."

She looked up, alarmed. "What? Why?"

Suki's eyes closed. "The Avatar. Aang. He's here."

Ty Lee's face lit up. "That's great! Why is that bad? We love Aang!"

Suki sighed, turned around, and put her hand on Ty Lee's cheek. "Because the Avatar is married to the sister of the boy you're stealing me from."

Suki watched the color drain from Ty Lee's face. Just like hers. Spirits, she was just as beautiful terrified.

"We're so dead."


	12. Courage

**Author's Note:**

**I know, I know...I do, really...This chapter was really, really hard to write though. I knew where I wanted to go with it, and I'm still not entirely convinced I got where I wanted to, but end of the day it was better than anything else I had working, so here it goes. I am going to try to update more, on my word. I've come too far with this story to let it die, and I will consider it a great personal failing if I don't finish this, not only for myself, but for the overwhelming positivity you all have shown for my writing and my story. I can't thank you all enough for it, and I hope with all of my heart I don't disappoint.  
**

**Disclaimer: As per usual, I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.  
**

All Toph could hear, or feel, or care about in that moment was the pounding of her heart in her ears, the feel of the hard, soothing ground under her feet, and she cared about absolutely nothing but getting away from that damnable inn at fast as she possibly could.

"Stupid...Stupid stupid girl...What the hell were you thinking? You decide to throw your life away because you were drunk and wanted a hug? _Stupid..."_

Toph's disgust was only surpassed by the crushing fear that she knew, in her heart, when Sokka woke up, he was going to hate himself. Hate her. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen, no matter how...wonderful...it had been. It was all _wrong._ He was still with Suki. Regardless as to what he'd said about her, they were still together, and Sokka was nothing if not an honorable man. He'd cheated on her, and Toph had not only let him, she had encouraged him. Wanted him to.

The thought sent another wave of revulsion through her, and she only increased her speed.

_How can he not hate me...Spirits, I hate myself..._

A pang of longing hit her, and Toph realized that she really, really wanted to be home with Katara right now. The older girl never ran out of kind words for her, and she always seemed to have the answer Toph wanted to hear. She loved the older girl, and she really missed her at that moment.

_What would you do, 'Tara? You know, if it wasn't your brother I just messed up with?_

Unbidden, a memory came to her, and the realization of it only hurt worse...

* * *

**_Two years ago..._**

"_Toph, are you ready to go? Aang, Sokka and Suki are going to be here any minute, Zuko and Mai will be furious if we're late!"_

_Katara listened, softly, as the small noises she was hearing on the other side of Toph's door, which, she realized with a start, were sobs, came to sniffling halt. "Yeah." Toph replied, softly. "I'll be out in a minute." There was no conviction in her voice._

_Katara's brow furrowed. "Are you sure you're okay?" She got the answer she expected. _

"_Lay off Sugar Queen, I'm fine! I'll be out in a minute!"_

_Katara shook her head, and went to wait in the center room for the younger girl to finish up...Which she did, as soon as Katara sat down. _

_She walked into the center room, too-long sleeves accentuating the pale green dress Katara had helped her pick out for the occasion. It was beautiful, and fit the younger girl's swiftly developing curves perfectly. The dress was cut long, so Toph didn't have to wear shoes, but was light and flowy, and seemed to dance in the light when she moved, tied in place with a darker green sash. A small pink flower ornament rested in her hair, which was worn long instead of in her traditional bun, with two small clips holding it back out of her eyes, which she was clearly unhappy with._

_Katara smiled. Toph was so proud. She'd clearly done everything herself, but being blind, had missed a couple of things. Wordlessly, Katara got up, brushed her hair back, fixed her clips, and dabbed the smallest bit of eye makeup on for her, both to highlight the pale pink of the flower in her hair, and cover up some of the tear marks she made no mention of. Toph, surprisingly, didn't say a word and just stood there, motionless. When she was done, Toph looked absolutely gorgeous, and Katara couldn't help but tell her so._

"_Toph, you look...You look beautiful. You're going to upstage Mai at her own wedding."_

_Toph scoffed, but Katara could see the slight blush in her cheeks that showed her compliment had hit the mark. She turned towards the door, stopped, came back, and lightly punched Katara in the arm, before breaking down and wrapping her arms around the older girl in a crushing hug._

_Surprised by the sudden show of emotion, Katara stood motionless for a moment, before smiling and wrapping her arms around the younger girl as well, protective feelings of warmth and love bursting at the confines of her heart. Mine. Family. Sister. She tried to relay it all to Toph in that hug, and she probably squeezed her tighter than she needed too, but she needed Toph to know. _

_Though she didn't say it out loud, Toph could tell. Katara's gesture alone would have been enough, but Toph could feel how tight Katara was squeezing her, the steady thump of her gentle heart...and the single tear that slowly slid down her cheek._

* * *

More tears threatened as she finally slowed, her breath catching in her chest with unrelenting sobs. It wasn't just Sokka she'd hurt. All of her friends were going to feel this. Their little group was going to change, forever...And it was all her fault.

So Toph sat, miserable, alone, and cried. She cried, fully, completely, letting the tears and the sorrow and the guilt wash over her, take her, and she cried and cried and cried until her voice was hoarse and she was absolutely certain she didn't have a single tear left in her. She was exhausted. All she wanted to do was curl up in a nice earth tent, like she did so long ago, and take a nice long nap and dream that none of this ever happened. It was as good a plan as she could make.

Sokka was the one with the plans, after all.

* * *

Sokka himself wasn't faring much better. He awoke to the feeling of Toph no longer lying next to him, having had what he assumed to be the best and yet strangest dream of his entire life, fully prepared to tell Toph how much he wanted this, how much he wanted her...And she was gone. She couldn't leave a note even if she'd wanted to, and she had clearly gone out of her way not to wake him before she took off.

For all of Toph's bluster, there wasn't single person in the entire world who knew that girl better than Sokka did. He knew fully well what the problem was. She felt guilty, and in her mind, rightly so, she was scared everything was going to change, and most importantly, she was concerned about the dynamic between her and him. If there was anything Toph craved, it was stability, and Sokka provided that. She loved an adventure just as much as he did, but it wasn't much of an adventure if her wasn't there with her. Their relationship, through everything they'd been through, was the one constant that never changed. They each knew where the other stood...Until now.

So, Sokka knew he had only a small window of time to find the girl before she shut down, shut him out, and possibly vanished across the Earth Kingdom. Sokka had no intention of letting that happen. He was going to find her and he was going to explain everything. This was going to work. Mostly. He hoped.

So, resolve locked in, he yanked himself out of bed, threw on yesterday's clothes, grabbed his sword and boomerang, and was walking determinedly down the staircase of the inn when a particular pale green robe caught his eye.

"...Why am I not surprised?"

A soft sigh from the owner of said robe was all the answer he got, at least until the cup of steaming tea sitting at Tonji's lips was drained. The older man turned in his seat at the bar, and, after gesturing to the friendly barkeep from the previous evening, folded his arms into his robe, a sad smile playing at his features.

"It may have something to do with the owner of this fine establishment, a personal friend of mine, actually, happening to mention to me while I was having my morning tea that a young girl, my niece, in fact, fled here in the middle of the night without her companion, and hasn't been seen since. A problem, I'm assuming, you intend to rectify."

Sokka's teeth gnashed. He liked the older man, but he really wasn't in the mood for any guilt trips right now. He had a mission, an important one. Find Toph. Make her listen. Make things right. There was nothing else he cared about at this moment, not even Toph's favorite (and only) uncle.

He tried to make his way towards the door without answering, but the soft voice floated behind him once more. "You didn't answer my question, dear boy."

Sokka snapped. He whirled around, gnashing turning into a full-blown growl. "Yes. I do. I'm going to go find her. Right now. And I'm going to do what I should have done years ago. I'm going to tell her that I can't live another day without her knowing how much I need her, and how sorry I am it took me this long to figure it out."

He took a deep, calming breath. "I'm going to tell her I love her, and pray to whatever spirit is listening that she feels the same way about me. Then, assuming that goes well, I'm going to be with her for as long as she'll have me, because a life without her isn't one worth living...And I'm completely terrified she's going to say no, but I have to try."

He turned back towards the door. "I'm leaving now, unless you have any object...Wait. On second thought, I don't-"

Tonji's stoic face broke, and he laughed, a deep, soothing sound, like a coursing river over a waterfall. It was...Almost peaceful.

"Peace, Sokka. I meant no disrespect. Just looking out for my favorite niece, after all. Come. Have a cup of tea with me."

"I don't really have-"

"I insist. If you must know, Toph left early heading on the main road towards the ferry dock, which is closed until tomorrow morning, anyway. She isn't going far without that ferry running, and you'll have plenty of time to catch her when you're finished. You'll feel better."

Sokka looked at the older man, completely dumbfounded. "How do you-"

Tonji waved him off. "It's not important how I know what I know. What I do know is that your tea is going to get cold if you wait any longer." He gestured to the still-steaming cup of tea, mirroring his own.

Eyebrows furrowed regardless, Sokka slowly walked over and sat down next to the older man, and took a sip of the tea. Instantly, a soft warmth filled the pit of his stomach, and it radiated out into his bones the more sips he took.

"Wow. This tea is amazing!" Unable to keep himself, he drained the cup, smacking his lips. Though Sokka couldn't see it, a wordless glance passed between the older man and the innkeeper, and Tonji spoke again.

"It's a special recipe, handed down for generations. It was said this tea was originally made by a warrior preparing his troops for an impossible battle, one he could not hope to win. Instead of falling into despair, he made this tea and told his men it was a sign from the spirits, a noble drink for noble men, to give them courage in the face of overwhelming odds. The men cheered, and with hope and courage in their hearts, leaped into battle with a song of victory on their lips."

Sokka's mouth was open, and he was hanging every word. "Yeah? Then what happened?"

Tonji smiled. "I'll tell you another time, dear boy. You have a a prior arrangement, and I've kept you too long."

Sokka's mouth snapped shut, and he bolted up. "You're right, I gotta go! Thanks for the teaaaaaaa!" He dashed towards the door and was gone in a moment.

The owner picked up Sokka's teacup, and placed it with the small pile of dirty dishes near the bar. "Magic tea? Really?"

Tonji smiled. "Don't scuff the details. If I'm not mistaken, we had a wager to be fulfilled?"

Wordlessly, the innkeeper slid several coins across the bar, which Tonji pocketed happily.


End file.
